FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS – In observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, federal authorities charged individuals with domestic violence cases involving firearms during fiscal year (FY) 2020.
Acting U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft emphasized, "Domestic abusers should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, especially when they illegally possess firearms."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted violent crime cases where guns were used during a domestic assault. In one such case, Johnnie Taylor, 40, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm while assaulting his girlfriend on the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.
According to authorities, police responded to 911 calls in the early hours of March 28, 2019, and found a woman being beaten and feared she would be thrown off the bridge.
Taylor was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, as he had a prior domestic violence conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a higher risk of homicide. In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.
The Southern District of Illinois charged 12 defendants with gun crimes involving a direct nexus to domestic violence during FY2020.
Related Federal Cases
- Davon Brown, Felon in Possession of Firearm, NY 2020 · Illinois
- Austin Curtis, Possession of Firearm as Fugitive, Cedar Rapids IA, … · Illinois
- William D Roper, Illegal Firearm Possession, IL 2023 · Illinois
- Lorenzo Carlos Pfeifer, Felon in Possession, IN 2024 · Illinois
- Joshua Walker, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Ohio 2024 · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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