Joliet Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearm While on Court-Supervised Release

CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Joliet man to more than two years in prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while on court-supervised release for a drug conviction.

GARY MCDONALD, 50, illegally possessed the gun on Oct. 8, 2023, in a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Sherman Street in Joliet.  McDonald had been released from federal prison in 2020 after serving time for a drug conspiracy conviction.  He was to remain on court-supervised release until 2025, during which time he was not allowed to, among other things, possess a firearm or commit another federal or state crime.

After a hearing in federal court on Nov. 30, 2023, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey found that McDonald violated the conditions of supervised release.  Judge Blakey revoked McDonald’s release and sentenced him to an additional two years and three months in federal prison.

The government was represented at the hearing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright.  Valuable assistance with the supervised release prosecution was provided by the Joliet Police Department and the FBI.

“Violating supervised release by possessing a loaded firearm is a serious offense that carries with it serious consequences,” said Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute serious violations of supervised release as appropriate.”