Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Rockford Man Sentenced on Charges of Distribution of Cocaine and Illegal Possession of a Firearm
ROCKFORD —A Rockford, Ill. man was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee on a federal drug trafficking charge and for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. BRIAN KOTLIENTHONG, 33, was sentenced on each charge to 108 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, to be served concurrently. Kotlienthong pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 13, 2020.
According to the written plea agreement, Kotlienthong distributed a total of approximately 83.6 grams of cocaine to an individual in Rockford in December of 2017. Kotlienthong, who had previously been convicted as a felon, further admitted that on Feb. 8, 2018 he illegally possessed a 9mm rifle and sold that rifle to another individual. Kotlienthong also admitted that on Dec. 21, 2017 he possessed and sold a 9mm pistol to an individual at the same time he sold approximately 27.6 grams of cocaine and on March 26, 2018 he possessed and sold another 9mm pistol while showing approximately one pound of marijuana he offered to sell.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen deTineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Stateline Area Narcotics Team, which includes law enforcement officers and agents from the Illinois State Police and the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
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