U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Johnny Phillips, a convicted felon, to 64 months in prison for stealing a firearm from a gun store in St. Louis County. The incident occurred on October 17, 2023, when Phillips took a Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 pistol from the store’s display case. The theft was recorded on video surveillance.
Phillips was apprehended by the Bridgeton Police Department the following day, and the stolen firearm was recovered. As a convicted felon, Phillips is prohibited from possessing firearms.
In July, Phillips pleaded guilty to charges of theft of a firearm from a federally licensed dealer and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The investigation was conducted by the Bridgeton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke handled the prosecution.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes trust-building within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
