Marquez Penman, Possessing Handguns, Kentucky 2023

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Marquez Penman, 30, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, is headed to federal prison for over a decade after being convicted of illegally possessing handguns, despite a lengthy criminal history. Penman received a sentence of 10 years and one month on Tuesday, followed by three years of supervised release.

The case, investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kentucky State Police, and the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, revealed Penman possessed a Taurus handgun on May 17, 2022, in Logan County, Kentucky. Just nine days later, on May 26, 2022, he was found with a Ruger handgun in Todd County. Both possessions were illegal due to prior felony convictions.

Court records show Penman’s rap sheet includes two counts of first-degree robbery, convictions handed down by the Christian Circuit Court on October 7, 2015. Even further back, on August 1, 2012, the same court convicted him of second-degree robbery. These convictions permanently stripped him of the right to own firearms.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, along with ATF Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow, highlighted the case as a win for public safety. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who illegally possess firearms, especially with a history of violent crime, will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Bennett stated. There is no parole in the federal system, meaning Penman will serve the entirety of his sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, working out of the Bowling Green Branch Office, successfully prosecuted the case. The prosecution was bolstered by the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive program aiming to reduce violent crime and gun violence through coordinated law enforcement efforts and community engagement.

PSN, recently strengthened, focuses on building trust with communities, supporting local violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and meticulously tracking results. This case exemplifies the program’s goal of making neighborhoods safer by removing dangerous individuals and illegal weapons from the streets. The ATF’s Bowling Green Field Office played a critical role in the investigation, alongside state and local partners.

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