Felon Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Stealing from Gun Store

ST. LOUIS - U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who stole a gun from a St. Louis County gun store to 64 months in prison.

On Oct. 17, 2023, Johnny Phillips stole a Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 pistol from the display case of the store. His theft was captured on video. The next day, the Bridgeton Police Department arrested Phillips and recovered the gun. As a convicted felon, he is barred from possessing a firearm.

Phillips, now 33, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, pleaded guilty in July to one count of theft of a firearm from a federally licensed firearm dealer and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bridgeton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke 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.