Guilty Pleas in Federal Firearms, Violent Crime Cases

Rock Island, Ill. – Three felons entered pleas of guilty in separate, unrelated cases today in federal court in Rock Island, Ill. Each remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending their respective sentencing hearing.

During court proceedings and according to court documents, Gregory F. Young, 37 of South Bend, Ind., admitted that he possessed a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol, an SKS-type 7.62mm rifle with folding stock and bayonet, about 13 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, and about 221 rounds of 7.62 ammunition loaded in eight SKS high capacity magazines when he was stopped by Illinois State Police on Nov. 20, 2015, in Henry County, Ill. At that time, Young was the subject of an active arrest warrant from Indiana. Young also has prior felony convictions from the State of Indiana for burglary and other offenses. At sentencing, set for Oct. 20, 2016, for possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon, Young faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release following release from prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro is prosecuting the case which was investigated by the Illinois State Police and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. 

In an unrelated case, Robert Ford, 22, of Rock Island, Ill., pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. According to court documents, Ford was stopped by Moline, Ill., police officers during the early morning hours of Dec. 2, 2015.  The officers had received an alert that Ford and others might be planning to take retaliatory action against a citizen of Moline in connection with a shooting in Rock Island on Dec. 2, 2015. Ford was searched and found to be carrying a loaded .38-caliber, 2-shot handgun in a jacket pocket. Ford has prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and burglary from Rock Island County, Ill. At sentencing, also set for Oct. 20, 2016, Ford faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release following release from prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Allegro is prosecuting the case which was investigated by the Moline Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. 

Walker Hampton, 41 of Viola, Ill., pled guilty to robbery of U.S. government property from a post office, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm(s), and possession of stolen firearms. Hampton admitted to the Jan. 24, 2015, robbery of the Taylor Ridge, Ill., Post Office, during which he brandished a firearm at the two postal workers, and took money from a postal bag.  Hampton was taken into custody on Feb. 25, 2015, by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Following his arrest, in Hampton’s home, officers found the Jimenez Arms 9mm pistol Hampton used in the robbery. In addition, officers found a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. Both of those weapons were found to have been stolen during a burglary of a home in Rock Island County, which Hampton admitted committing. Hampton has a prior felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance in Muscatine, Iowa. At Hampton’s sentencing, scheduled on Oct. 20, 2016, he faces up to 25 years in prison for the robbery, a consecutive seven years for brandishing a firearm during the crime, and up to 10 years in prison for the possession of a firearm and stolen firearms, up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Mott. The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation of the charges.