BENTON — A 19-year-old Perry County man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to more than four years in federal prison on explosives and firearms charges, according to acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois James Porter.
(Source: PCSO)
Samuel L. Dunson, of DuQuoin, was sentenced Wednesday to 52 months in federal prison after he previously pleaded guilty to three counts in a federal indictment that charged Dunson with knowingly possessing an ‘improvised explosive incendiary device’ in two separate instances on the night of August 5, 2015.that were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record in violation of federal law.
The third count in the indictment charged Dunson with Dunson possessing a sawed-off shotgun, that also was not registered legally, another violation of federal law.
The indictment comes after Dunson and another man were arrested by Du Quoin police on August 6, following two off-duty police officers reporting that Molotov cocktails had been thrown at their cars.
Both squad cars had minimal damage.
The state charges were dismissed following the federal indictment.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Du Quoin Police Department, and the Illinois State Police Department.