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Press Release

East St. Louis Man Sentenced For Firearm Offense

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Illinois

James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 15, 2016, Montinez Wright, 27, of East St. Louis, IL, was sentenced for the Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon. Wright received 21 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $150 fine and a $100 special assessment. Wright also agreed to forfeit the illegal firearm that he possessed.

The charge arose out of a traffic stop made by the Belleville Police Department on May 26, 2015. During the stop, police found a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver in Wright’s possession. Further investigation revealed that Wright had previously been convicted of a felony in Madison County in 2008.

The case was investigated by the Belleville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Shane Kelbley.

Updated March 16, 2016