Felon Sentenced in Minneapolis Project Exile Case

MINNEAPOLIS — Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 30–year–old felon from Minneapolis was sentenced for possessing a nine–millimeter Glock semi–automatic handgun. United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Kevin Devon Wallace to 74 months in prison on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wallace was indicted on October 13, 2010, and pleaded guilty on January 28, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Wallace admitted that on June 7, 2010, he was stopped by Minneapolis police after failing to stop at a stop sign. Subsequently, he consented to a search of a residence he used. During that search, officers found the weapon inside a closet.

Because Wallace is a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm at any time. His record includes Cook County, Illinois, convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in 1999 and 2000; a Cook County, Illinois, conviction for possession of a stolen motor vehicle in 1999; and Ramsey County, Minnesota, convictions for terroristic threats in 2004 and second–degree burglary of a dwelling and possession of a controlled substance in 2006.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-Violent Crime Impact Team ("ATF"). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter.

Wallace is one of numerous defendants charged federally through Project Exile Minneapolis. That law enforcement initiative was launched on July 22, 2010, as part of a Citywide effort to reduce gun violence. Through Project Exile, the Minneapolis Police Department and the ATF work together to apprehend serial criminals for violations of gun laws. Then, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office teams up with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine where those offenders will most effectively be prosecuted – state or federal court. Those determinations are based on the offenders’ criminal histories and current charges, among other factors. To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has brought charges against approximately 15 serious habitual criminals through Project Exile Minneapolis.