West Suburban Man Convicted of Federal Gun Charge

CHICAGO—An Addison man was convicted today by a federal jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant, Mario J. Rainone, was found guilty following a two-day trial. The jury was empaneled on Monday before U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber in Federal Court.

Rainone, 58, who was arrested in February 2009, remains in federal custody pending sentencing, which Judge Leinenweber scheduled for June 5. Based on Rainone’s status as an armed career criminal under federal law, the offense carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. Rainone also faces a maximum fine of $250,000. The court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

Rainone was arrested by Addison police on state charges on February 12, 2009. A state search warrant was executed the next day at an apartment where Rainone was staying in the 1200 block of West Lake Street in the western suburb. A Smith & Wesson Model 19-3 .357 caliber revolver, along with personal papers and other belongings, were found in the nightstand in the bedroom used by Rainone, resulting in the federal firearms charge. The gun was stolen in October 2008, according to the original owner, who testified at trial.

A stipulation was entered at the trial that Rainone has a prior felony conviction. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing any firearm affecting interstate commerce.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet Bhachu and Michael Donovan. The verdict was announced Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Addison Police Department.