ROCKFORD - A Rockford man was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.

U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on TIMOTHY GENTRY, 47, during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

Gentry admitted in a plea agreement that on July 6, 2023, he sold a loaded handgun to a man in Rockford. Unbeknownst to Gentry, the buyer was cooperating with law enforcement. Gentry was previously convicted of multiple violent felonies in state courts and is considered an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosive. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff's Office provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.