St. Louis City Man Charged with Federal Firearm Charges

St. Louis – Christopher Thomas Gaston, 40, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged by a federal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Gaston will appear in court on June 4, 2020 for his initial appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Patricia L. Cohen.

According to the criminal complaint, during an ongoing investigation into the shooting of four St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers during the late night hours of June 1 and early morning hours of June 2, 2020, Gaston was determined to live in a condominium complex adjacent to the scene of the shooting.  Witnesses reported seeing him with a firearm the evening of the shooting.  Security camera footage confirmed the witnesses’ statements and showed Gaston carrying a long gun partially concealed by a blanket.

A search warrant was conducted at Gaston’s residence and agents found two firearms – a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun.  The handgun was loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a box of 45 additional rounds of .380 caliber ammunition for the handgun were seized.  Gaston admitted to being a convicted felon and knowing he could not possess firearms.

If convicted, Gaston faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

These charges are the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dunkel is handling this case.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.