DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Northern District of Illinois

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Zachary T. Fardon
, United States Attorney

Rockford Man Pleadsd Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm

ROCKFORD — A Rockford man pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. CLIFFORD HORTON, 28, of Rockford, Ill., admitted that on November 4, 2014, having previously been convicted of a felon, he possessed a Taurus .380 caliber pistol.

Horton is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. Horton faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to 5 years following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the United States District Court, guided by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffery Magee, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff; and, Patrick Hoey, Interim Chief of the Rockford Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.

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Chicago Field Division