U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
Southern District of Illinois

Southern District of Illinois

www.justice.gov/usao/ils

For Immediate Release

November 27, 2012

East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

Christopher J. Scott, of East St. Louis, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Scott, 26, is scheduled for sentencing on March 1, 2013. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Court documents indicate Scott possessed a firearm in his waistband while riding on a Madison County Transit Bus in Venice, Illinois, in April, 2012. Prior to that date, Scott had been convicted of a felony offense punishable by more than one year. Federal law prohibits felons from knowingly possessing firearms.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Venice Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump is prosecuting the case.

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