East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

An East St. Louis man, Casey M. Rigsby, 20, was sentenced in United States District Court, East St. Louis, for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon, to the maximum statutory term of 120 months (10 years) in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Rigsby was also ordered to pay a $250 fine, a $100 special assessment, and to serve three years’ supervised release following imprisonment (also the maximum term of supervised release available). There is no parole in the federal system. Rigsby has been in custody since his arrest on July 15, 2011.

“As the Court correctly recognized, this individual is a thoroughly dangerous and violent young man. Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident. Hopefully, this sentence will not only affirm the effectiveness of the WAVE and our local law enforcement partners, but will serve to deter other young persons from taking up firearms,” said United States Attorney Wigginton. “For those reasons and more, I applaud the wisdom of the Court in passing the sentence that it did in this case,” he noted.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2011, Centreville police officers conducted a traffic stop on the driver of a car for disobeying a stop sign. The registration on the car was for a different vehicle. The driver acknowledged that his driver’s license was suspended and that he had no insurance, and that there was a warrant for his arrest. Officers asked the front seat passenger and the back seat passenger (Rigsby) to step out of the car. Rigsby attempted to use his foot to conceal a firearm under the seat. The officer recovered a Sig-Sauer, Model P220, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was loaded with seven live rounds in the magazine and one live round in the chamber.

Following his arrest, Rigsby admitted possession of the firearm and said he tried to conceal it because he is prohibited from possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He further stated that the front seat passenger was recently shot, and the front seat passenger and the driver were planning to show him the residence of the shooter. He admitted bringing the loaded firearm with him when he got in the car.

Rigsby has a prior felony conviction for Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which occurred on August 3, 2010, in St. Clair County, Illinois.

The investigation of the case was handled by the Centreville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At Rigsby’s sentencing hearing today, members the FBI WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force testified regarding their dealings with Rigsby. The case agent also testified regarding information Rigsby provided about his criminal activities following his arrest.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November, 2009, and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gunrelated violence.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.

Gun in Deep Freeze Nets Cahokia Man Over Three Years in Federal Prison

A Cahokia man, Willie J. Fair, III, 24, was sentenced in United States District Court, East St. Louis, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, to 37 months in prison, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Fair also was also ordered to pay a $200 fine, a $100 special assessment, and to serve three years’ supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Fair has been in custody since his arrest on January 23, 2012.

According to court documents, on November 30, 2011, members of the FBI WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force were patrolling East St. Louis, Illinois, and responded to a report involving the recovery of a stolen vehicle at the Orr Weathers Public Housing Complex and a potential suspect running into Building 21. Members of the task force knocked on an apartment door in Building 21, where they believed the suspect ran, and were met by Fair. During a search of the apartment, officers seized four firearms, magazines, and numerous rounds of ammunition. A Hi-Point .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol was recovered from a deep freezer. Fair, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, admitted he possessed the Hi-Point pistol and placed it in the deep freezer when law enforcement arrived. Another convicted felon in the apartment was arrested for possession of one of the other firearms. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 29, 2012. The Hi-Point pistol functioned as designed.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November 2009 and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police; the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI); the East St. Louis Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gunrelated violence.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey. Steven Lupa, a law student, assisted at the sentencing hearing.

Former East St. Louis Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Property

Larry D. Greenlee, 40, of Belleville, Illinois, plead guilty in federal court in East St. Louis to one count of theft or conversion of government property, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Greenlee was indicted in February 2012. Facts surrounding the charge, as revealed in court, were that Greenlee, while a police officer for the city of East St. Louis, failed an integrity test wherein federal agents placed a Rolex watch encircled with diamonds in a vehicle that appeared to be abandoned or stolen. Audio and video surveillance was in place around the vehicle. On September 17, 2010, Greenlee responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle and then inventoried the contents of the vehicle prior to having the vehicle towed. During that process, Greenlee stole the Rolex watch from the vehicle. Sentencing is scheduled for September 21, 2012.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman Smith.

East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Firearm Offense

An East St. Louis man, Kenneth C. Walton, was sentenced in United States District Court, East St. Louis, following his guilty plea 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. Walton was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment, a $100 fine, 3 years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Walton has been in custody since his arrest on September 27, 2011. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on January 3, 2011, members of the FBI WAVE task force were patrolling East St. Louis, Illinois, within the Southern District of Illinois, and approached the parking lot of the 365 AM/PM Market, a location well-known for open air drug dealing and weapon possession. When agents pulled onto the lot, Walton looked toward them before immediately turning and walking into the store. An FBI Special Agent followed the Defendant into the store where he observed the Defendant walking away from the entrance to the bathroom. The agent asked Walton what he hid in the store, and he replied, “A little weed.” Walton said he hid the marihuana under a mop in the bathroom. The agent found four small bags of marihuana under a mop in the bathroom and a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol under the sink with one live round of ammunition in the magazine. Walton has a prior felony conviction which occurred on June 4, 2008, in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence.

The case was being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.

East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

An East St. Louis man, Kenneth C. Walton, 21, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court, 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. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2012. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, up to three years’ supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Walton has been in custody since his arrest on September 27, 2011.

According to court documents, on January 3, 2011, members of the FBI WAVE task force were patrolling East St. Louis, Illinois, within the Southern District of Illinois, and approached the parking lot of the 365 AM/PM Market, a location well-known for open air drug dealing and weapon possession. When agents pulled onto the lot, Walton looked toward them before immediately turning and walking into the store. An FBI special agent followed Walton into the store where he observed Walton walking away from the entrance to the bathroom. The agent asked Walton what he hid in the store, and he replied, “A little weed.” Walton said he hid the marijuana under a mop in the bathroom. The agent found four small bags of marijuana under a mop in the bathroom and a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol under the sink with one live round of ammunition in the magazine.

Walton gave a voluntarily statement stating he got the gun on New Year’s Eve and fired it a couple times. The firearm functioned as designed and was manufactured in Ohio, thereby affecting interstate commerce. Walton has a prior felony conviction which occurred on June 4, 2008, in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois.

The WAVE Task Force focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November, 2009, and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gunrelated violence.

The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.

East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offenses

An East St. Louis man pled guilty on May 25, 2011, to a two-count indictment charging, in count one, the unlawful possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, and, in count two, possession of an unregistered firearm, namely a sawed-off shotgun, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Louis Johnson, 70, East St. Louis, Illinois, faces a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both, and a term of supervised release of not more than three years on each count. A total of four guns that Johnson illegally possessed will be forfeited as a result of his conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2011, in East St. Louis, Illinois.

The violations occurred on March 5, 2010, when members of a WAVE Detail asked Johnson for consent to search his home after receiving an anonymous tip that the resident might be selling drugs from the home. Johnson voluntarily consented to a search. During the search, officers recovered a stolen handgun, two rifles, and a sawed-off shotgun. Officers also recovered marihuana, 10 Oxycontin pills, and assorted drug paraphernalia from the residence. In a voluntary, videotaped statement, the Johnson admitted possession of all of the recovered firearms and he admitted being a habitual user of crack cocaine and marihuana while the officers were collecting his personal history.

The case resulted from the efforts of the WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force, which focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November 2009, and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.