Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Louis, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Charles Allen Roark, 36, of St. Louis, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.

Today’s indictment alleges that Roark was in possession of a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol on July 18, 2015.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Roark has prior federal felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for distributing controlled substances, as well as two prior state felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior state felony convictions for assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.

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

http://www.justice.gov/wdmo

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