A convicted felon has been sentenced to 64 months in prison for stealing a gun from a St. Louis County gun store.
Johnny Phillips, 33, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, pleaded guilty in July to one count of theft of a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The theft occurred on October 17, 2023, when Phillips stole a Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 pistol from the display case of the store. The next day, the Bridgeton Police Department arrested Phillips and recovered the gun.
As a convicted felon, Phillips is barred from possessing a firearm. The Bridgeton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The PSN program is based on core principles of fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Phillips’ sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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