Corey A. Cotton, 33, of East Saint Louis, IL, was sentenced on May 2, 2013, in federal district court, in East St. Louis, on one count of 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.
Cotton was sentenced to 71 months in prison, three years’ supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a $200 fine. Cotton, who previously pled guilty on Dec. 14, 2012, also agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm. The charges stem from a Sept. 27, 2011, incident when law enforcement officials attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Cotton in East St. Louis. Initially, Cotton sped off. After coming to a stop several blocks away, he exited the vehicle, fleeing from officers on foot. While running from officers, Cotton discarded a firearm in a wooded area, which was recovered by pursuing officials.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys