East St. Louis Man Gets 71 Months for Gun Crime

East St. Louis Man Gets 71 Months for Gun Crime

Corey A. Cotton, a 33-year-old man from East St. Louis, Illinois, has been sentenced to 71 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, a federal judge ruled on May 2, 2013.

Cotton was charged after a September 27, 2011, incident in which he fled from law enforcement officials during a traffic stop in East St. Louis. The officers eventually apprehended him, and a firearm was recovered from a wooded area where Cotton had discarded it while fleeing.

Cotton, who had previously pled guilty on December 14, 2012, was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $200 fine, as well as serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

As part of his plea agreement, Cotton agreed to forfeit the firearm that was recovered by law enforcement officials.

The case against Cotton was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.

According to court records, Cotton’s sentence is the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant in federal district court in East St. Louis. The charges against Cotton were filed in connection with the September 2011 incident involving the attempted traffic stop.

Stephen R. Wigginton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced the sentencing of Cotton, stating that the defendant’s actions were a serious threat to public safety.

The case against Cotton serves as a reminder of the importance of enforcing federal laws related to firearms and the consequences of violating those laws.

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