Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

On November 15, 2012, King Malone, Jr., a 50-year-old Hampton, Virginia man, pled guilty in United States Federal District Court in East St. Louis to unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Malone is scheduled for sentencing on March 1, 2013, at which time he faces a maximum potential sentence of 10 years’ in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, not more than three years’ of supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100. Malone also agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm.

Court proceedings revealed that on January 7, 2011, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Malone in Madison County. During the course of the stop, Malone was asked to step out of the vehicle. Malone complied and was handcuffed while officers determined whether the vehicle belonged to Malone. While detained, an officer asked Malone if there were weapons in the vehicle. Malone confirmed there was a firearm in a backpack on the front passenger floorboard of the vehicle. Prior to January 7, 2011, Malone had been convicted of a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police.

This case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.