Chicago Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Murder and Gun Crimes

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a murder and for illegally possessing a handgun.

Andrei Taylor, 27, of Chicago, was found guilty of participating in the premeditated murder of Kadaivion Jones on Sept. 2, 2022, in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. Taylor also possessed a loaded firearm with an extended magazine on Sept. 19, 2022, in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood.

Taylor was a passenger in a stolen Kia Optima when a Chicago Police squad car approached. He and three other occupants fled the vehicle and ran off on foot. Taylor tossed the gun into a nearby backyard before being apprehended by police.

Taylor’s history of firearm-related crimes made him ineligible to possess the handgun. He had been previously convicted of three firearm-related felonies in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the prison sentence on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. Taylor pleaded guilty to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, a nationwide program to combat violent crime. The program brings together law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders, and other stakeholders to develop solutions to violent crime problems.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Simar Khera. The sentencing is a significant blow to those committing gun crimes in Chicago. As part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and work to keep the community safe.