Press Release
Contact:
MICHAEL L. SCHIPPER
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2404
MUSKEGON MAN SENTENCED
MONDAY, JULY 21, 2008 -
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – DeMario Matthews, 23, of Muskegon, has been sentenced to
78 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Charles R. Gross
announced today.
On October 31, 2007, after receiving a 911 call describing a man with a gun, the Muskegon Police were dispatched to respond. Upon arriving at the scene, police observed a man who matched the description they received from the 911 caller. Police approached Matthews and ordered him to stop. Matthews did not stop, but continued to walk and was seen attempting to discard an object – a 9mm semi-automatic pistol – behind a tree. Officers took Matthews into custody and retrieved the pistol.
Matthews was prohibited by federal law from possessing the pistol because he was a felon, having previously been convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon. On April 17, 2008, Matthews pled guilty to illegally possessing the 9mm pistol. In addition to 78 months in prison, U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell ordered Matthews to serve 3 additional years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Gross commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Muskegon Police Department for their work in resolving this case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is
a long-running partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement authoritiesthat
focuses on reducing gun-related violence in Western Michigan by obtaining substantial prison
sentences for repeat gun offenders. This case was prosecuted on behalf of the United States of
America by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Schipper.
END
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