PEORIA, Ill. – Alan Andrew Collins, 39, of Peoria, is headed back to federal prison, this time for 55 months, after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. This isn’t Collins’ first rodeo. The career criminal has a rap sheet stretching back nearly two decades, including felony convictions in Cook County in 2004 and 2005, and two prior federal convictions for the same offense – possessing a firearm – in 2008 and 2014, all within the Central District of Illinois.
The bust went down in November 2022 when agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Peoria Police Department executed a federal search warrant at Collins’ residence on the 800 block of West MacQueen Avenue. Collins emerged from his bedroom just as agents were moving in. What they found on his nightstand was a loaded semi-automatic 9mm pistol. It wasn’t just loaded; it had a high-capacity 16-round magazine inserted and a round chambered – ready to fire.
The search didn’t stop there. Officers also recovered a 30-round extended magazine, also loaded, along with an ammunition speed loader and a cache of additional live rounds. Collins, unsurprisingly, claimed he didn’t own the weapon, spinning a tale about his girlfriend purchasing it and leaving it at his place. He admitted his fingerprints and DNA would be on the gun because he’d handled it, but denied ownership. Judge James E. Shadid wasn’t buying it.
Collins was initially arrested following a federal complaint in November 2022 and formally indicted by a federal grand jury just two weeks later. He pleaded guilty in February 2024 and has been cooling his heels in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service ever since. He’ll also face a three-year term of supervised release when – and if – he ever gets out.
The penalties for a felon illegally packing heat are stiff: up to 15 years in the slammer, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna successfully prosecuted the case. This case isn’t an isolated incident, but part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a broad effort to reduce violent crime and gun violence by uniting law enforcement and communities.
PSN, recently strengthened, focuses on building trust within communities, supporting violence prevention programs, strategically targeting enforcement, and – crucially – measuring results. While programs like PSN are touted as solutions, the revolving door of repeat offenders like Collins begs the question: how many chances does a dangerous individual get before the system prioritizes public safety over leniency?
RELATED: Southeast Shoplifter Collins Faces Jail Time
RELATED: Devin Fabian Collins Convicted in St. Petersburg Firearm Case
Related Federal Cases
- James Beats Back Illegal Trump Tariffs · New Mexico
- ATF Warns of Legal Policies: Linking to DOJ Sites at Your Own Risk · Illinois
- James Leads Coalition Against Extremist SAVE America Act · New Mexico
- James Leads Push for Senate KOSA Bill Over House Version · New Mexico
- James Blocks $10B Cut to Childcare & Support Programs · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
