United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois

06/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2025 10:18

Federal Jury Convicts Man of Trafficking Multiple Rifles in Chicago

Press Release

Federal Jury Convicts Man of Trafficking Multiple Rifles in Chicago

Tuesday, June 10, 2025
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO - A federal jury has convicted a man of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun in Chicago.

CEDRIC CURTIS, 32, of Chicago, sold the six rifles and handgun to a buyer in 2018 and 2019. Unbeknownst to Curtis, the buyer was cooperating with federal law enforcement. Curtis was not a licensed firearms dealer and, having been previously convicted of a felony offense, could not legally possess a firearm.

The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last week convicted Curtis on one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf.

A co-defendant, DEONTA MOORE, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty prior to trial to a charge of illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon. Moore was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison.

Holding illegal firearm dealers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office has deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

Updated June 10, 2025
Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Firearms Offenses
Violent Crime
Components
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
USAO - Illinois, Northern
United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois published this content on June 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 10, 2025 at 16:18 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io