Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Paducah, KY – A Crofton, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 6 years and 5 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony offense.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Sheriff Tyler DeArmond of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Earl Ray Cook, Jr., 27, of Crofton, Kentucky, was sentenced to 6 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Taurus model G3C 9mm handgun, and ammunition, on January 29, 2024, in Christian County, Kentucky. Cook was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On June 8, 2016, in Christian Circuit Court, Cook was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, first offense and possession of drug paraphernalia while armed.
On February 12, 2018, in Daviess Circuit Court, Cook was convicted of theft of identity of another without consent, theft of a motor vehicle registration plate or renewal decal, and first-degree possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, first offense.
On July 28, 2022, in Daviess Circuit Court, Cook was convicted of third-degree assault and first-degree fleeing or evading police.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and Christian County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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