A Rockford resident, Wesley Smith, 37, has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The sentencing took place on Monday before U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston.
According to the plea agreement, Smith admitted that he possessed a loaded firearm at a residence in Rockford on May 2, 2024.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim represented the government during the proceedings.
"Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses," according to officials.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative used by federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in northern Illinois to address violent crime with an emphasis on gun-related offenses.
