A federal jury in Chicago has found Cedric Curtis guilty of trafficking firearms, including six rifles and a handgun. Curtis, 32, sold these weapons to an individual who was cooperating with federal law enforcement between 2018 and 2019. Curtis lacked a license to deal firearms and was prohibited from possessing them due to a prior felony conviction.
The jury at the U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Curtis on charges of dealing firearms without a license and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso.
The conviction announcement came from Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department also contributed significantly to the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf are representing the government.
Deonta Moore, a co-defendant in the case, pleaded guilty earlier to illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon and received a sentence of three years and one month in federal prison.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods' effort to hold illegal firearm dealers accountable as part of broader initiatives against violent crime in the Northern District of Illinois.
