Jury convicts fugitive of shooting at U.S. Marshals serving his arrest warrant

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A southern Illinois jury returned three guilty verdicts for a convicted felon who opened fire on law enforcement officers serving his arrest warrant at a motel in East St. Louis.

The jury found Earl Frank, 57, of O'Fallon, Illinois, guilty of one count of assault on a federal officer, one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

"Earl Frank is a dangerous criminal who had been on the run for nearly a year. When Deputy U.S. Marshals caught up with him, he opened fire instead of surrendering," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "We stand behind our law enforcement partners, which is why this case went to trial with no plea deal. Frank will face the full weight of federal law."

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Frank had been a fugitive of justice after cutting off his ankle monitor in St. Louis in July 2024 while he was on supervised release. In June 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force went to serve an arrest warrant after learning Frank was staying at the Royal Budget Inn in East St. Louis.

"Our Deputy U.S. Marshals and task force officers went to that hotel room to execute an arrest warrant and were met with gunfire. I'm proud of the professionalism and courage displayed that day and grateful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who helped bring this individual to justice," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Kyle Schulte, Southern District of Illinois. "Let this verdict send a clear message to fugitives across the county: the U.S. Marshals Service and our partners will not be intimidated, and violence will not deter us from carrying out our mission."

As shown on body worn camera, agents forcefully knocked and announced themselves three times before using a key to open Frank's motel door. When an officer opened the door, Frank fired a gun at the officers.

After taking Frank into custody approximately 10 minutes after he fired the shot, agents recovered a .380 pistol and a spent .380 shell casing from the motel room. Agents recovered a box of .380 ammunition from Frank's car parked outside the motel room. Frank had previously been convicted of a felony and therefore unable to legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

The penalties for assault on a federal officer are up to 20 years' imprisonment. Discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence is a mandatory minimum of 10 years' imprisonment. Felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years' imprisonment.

ATF led the investigation with assistance from the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal and Kathleen Howard are prosecuting the case.