Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Hopkinsville Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Handguns
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A Hopkinsville, Kentucky man was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison for illegally possessing a handgun on two separate occasions.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police and Sheriff Tracy White of the Todd County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Marquez Penman, 30, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On May 17, 2022, in Logan County, Kentucky, Penman possessed a Taurus handgun. Nine days later, on May 26, 2022, in Todd County, Kentucky, Penman possessed a Ruger handgun. Penman was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On October 7, 2015, in Christian Circuit Court, Penman was convicted of two counts of first-degree robbery. On August 1, 2012, in Christian Circuit Court, Penman was convicted of second-degree robbery.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office, the Kentucky State Police and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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