Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun at Chicago Block Party
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun at a block party on the South Side of Chicago.
ANTHONY CARR illegally possessed the gun on the night of July 8, 2020, in the 6100 block of South Normal Boulevard in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Shortly after 11:00 p.m., Chicago Police officers approached the block party crowd and observed Carr, who immediately attempted to run away while holding his waistband. Ignoring police commands to stop, Carr tossed the gun into a large outdoor tent before officers were able to apprehend him.
Carr, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm. Carr had previously been convicted of felonies in state court, including multiple armed robberies, and was prohibited by federal law from possessing the gun.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Norgle imposed the federal prison sentence Monday after a hearing in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“The illegal possession of guns by felons are very serious offenses that threaten the safety of the public,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant and other felons who carry guns must understand that illegally possessing weapons on the streets of Chicago translates to real consequences and real punishment.”
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.