CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Charleston man was found guilty Thursday on felony firearms possession charge.
Mario Evans, 34, was found guilty yesterday, following a one-day trial, of the felony of Being a Previously Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm, according to he United States Attorney's Office.
He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr.
The trial testimony established that on Aug. 2, 2013, at approximately 11:45 p.m., an officer with the Charleston Department of Public Safety observed Evans near his vehicle which was parked in an abandoned car wash. In the front seat of Evans' car, officers observed a loaded .22 caliber Lorcin brand semi-automatic pistol with the serial numbers removed, $1,260 in cash and 45 grams of marijuana. Evans is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. On Feb.13, 2001, Evans was convicted in the Circuit Court of Mississippi County, Missouri of distribution of a controlled substance near a public housing authority and was sentenced to eight years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. On July 27, 2004, he was convicted in the United States District Court of two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and sentenced to 100 months in prison.
He now faces a punishment of not less than 15 years to life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for March 2, 2015.
The case was investigated by the Charleston Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Larry H. Ferrell handled the prosecution for the Government.
For this story and more, see the Sunday edition of the Standard Democrat.