East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Cocaine Robbery Plot

Christopher Jenkins, 42, of East St. Louis, Illinois, has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute at least 15 kilograms of cocaine and using or carrying firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

According to court documents, in July 2013, Jenkins agreed with two men to rob a drug stash house containing cocaine. Jenkins and another codefendant brought two loaded firearms with them to assist in the robbery. ATF agents, who had been investigating Jenkins and his codefendants’ plans to commit the robbery, arrested the three men in St. Louis.

Jenkins was charged in federal court in East St. Louis, Illinois and pled guilty. There is no parole in the federal prison system. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge David R. Herndon also sentenced Jenkins to serve a total of five years of supervised release and to pay $200 in court fees.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump prosecuted the case. Jenkins will be serving a 108-month sentence in federal prison.

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced the sentencing. Jenkins’ crime was a brazen attempt to rob a stash house containing cocaine, which put innocent lives at risk.

Jenkins’ sentence is a reminder that those who engage in serious crimes will face serious consequences. The people of East St. Louis and the surrounding area can rest a little easier knowing that Jenkins will be off the streets for the next 9 years.