Parrionte H. Wallace, a 22-year-old resident of the 2000 block of South 12th Street, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm. Wallace pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents, Wallace was stopped by law enforcement officers from the Menard County Sheriff’s Office on June 23, 2022, while traveling in a vehicle in Menard County. During the stop, officers discovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine. Wallace admitted to purchasing the firearm illegally in Chicago. The Athens, Illinois, Police Department also assisted with the stop.
U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, presiding over the case, highlighted that Wallace was in possession of a stolen firearm loaded with one round in the chamber and an extended magazine while accompanied by a young child at 12:30 am in a vehicle. Wallace's prior criminal conviction was determined to be a crime of violence.
The case falls under the purview of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative initiative involving law enforcement and communities to mitigate violent crime and gun-related offenses. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger.
The penalties for such offenses were increased to 15 years’ imprisonment as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act shortly after the incident. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Illinois State Police, Menard County Sheriff’s Office, and Athens Police Department jointly investigated the case.