Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

The United States Attorney's Office announced that HERSCHAEL TANKSLEY, age 34, was sentenced today to serve 46 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

According to court documents, in November 2019, officers were dispatched to a "shots fired call" outside a residence in Cape Girardeau. The reporting party told police that Tanksley was the person responsible for firing the gun and that he had since left the area in a silver passenger car. Officers located and stopped the car and made contact with Tanksley. A semi-automatic pistol was seized from Tanksley's jacket pocket. Tanksley admitted that he had the firearm for about a year.

Tanksley has a prior felony conviction for Tampering with a Motor Vehicle in Scott County, Missouri, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, is available on-line at

http://www.justice.gov/edmo
Twitter: @USAO_EDMO