Springfield, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that on October 21, 2011, Darnell V. Crutcher, a/k/a Darnell C. Crutcher, 38, of Washington Park, Illinois, was sentenced in federal district court in East St. Louis to 36 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and a fine of $250, following his plea of guilty to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentencing judge also ordered forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition contained therein.
A stipulation of facts filed with the court states:
Defendant was found in possession of the firearm following an investigation and pursuit of Defendant by an FBI agent at about 1:25 a.m. on May 12, 2011, in East St. Louis, Illinois, which is within the Southern District of Illinois. The agent initially observed two vehicles parked on the wrong side of a street in a residential area in East St. Louis. Upon approaching the vehicles, the agent saw Defendant run from the scene with what appeared to be a handgun in his right hand. The agent pursued the Defendant and ultimately apprehended the Defendant. Agents found the aforementioned Jimenez Arms pistol during a search of the route that Defendant had taken during the pursuit. The firearm was loaded with eight rounds of 9 mm. ammunition.
Cructher was previously convicted, in Richmond County, Georgia Case No. 04RCCR113, on or about March 25, 2004, of the felony of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Section 16-13-30 of the Official Code of Georgia, Annotated.
The case resulted from the efforts of the WAVE (Working Against Violent Elements) Task Force, which focuses its efforts on combating violent crime in East St. Louis, Washington Park, and surrounding communities. WAVE was formed in November, 2009, and is a collaboration of law enforcement officers from the Illinois State Police, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the East St. Louis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The WAVE Task Force receives financial support through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide federal program which endeavors to address gun-related violence. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen B. Clark.
