Judge Sentences St. Peters Man For Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri:

November 2, 2020

ST. LOUIS, MO – United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Rico Willis to 60 months in prison today. The 23-year-old St. Peters, Missouri resident pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Officers from the St. Peters Police Department answered a ‘shots fired’ call at a home on Spencer Trail on October 31, 2018. A woman, identified as Willis’ girlfriend, was shot in the leg. Willis witnessed the shooting. After the shooting, Willis ran from the scene with a firearm. Willis thought the shooters was pursuing him. As Willis approached a cul-de-sac, he turned and fired at the car following him.

The bullet struck the street in front of the car. Willis dropped the gun in a nearby park, but officers recovered it. Surveillance video captured Willis firing the gun. He admitted firing the gun in the direction of the car. Police recovered a spent bullet from the street. The shooting of Willis’ girlfriend remains under investigation.

The St. Peters Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa handled the case.

This press release was produced by the US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri. The views expressed here are the author’s own.