A Centralia resident has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for firearms offenses. Brandon Hoskins, 32, of Centralia, Illinois, was sentenced to sixty months in federal prison on December 13, 2016, for possession of a firearm in connection with a drug offense.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce, announced the sentencing. Hoskins was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and to serve three years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
The case against Hoskins began on November 29, 2014, when the Buchheit of Centralia farm and home supply store was burglarized. During the burglary, thirty-nine firearms were stolen, along with at least one thousand rounds of ammunition. Evidence established that two of the guns stolen during the Buchheit’s burglary were eventually transferred to Brandon Hoskins.
When agents went to Hoskins’ home on December 5, 2014, to search for the stolen firearms, they discovered a separate Glock pistol in his bedroom, along with an amount of heroin, a drug log book, and drug packaging materials. Hoskins admitted that he kept that firearm as protection related to his drug dealing. The two stolen firearms were eventually recovered by law enforcement officials.
Hoskins pleaded guilty on August 11, 2016, in United States District Court. The investigation is being conducted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Centralia Police Department, along with the Clinton County State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
Centralia Police and agents from the ATF identified the suspects soon after the burglary and have recovered thirty-seven of the thirty-nine stolen guns as of this date. Anyone with knowledge of the remaining stolen firearms or the ammunition is encouraged to call law enforcement. The sentencing of Hoskins serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of firearms offenses and the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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