Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Handgun and Using It To Fatally Shoot Man in Chicago

CHICAGO - A felon has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a handgun and using it to fatally shoot a man in Chicago.

LEVION THOMAS illegally possessed the handgun on March 20, 2023, when he sold it to an undercover law enforcement officer. As a previously convicted felon, Thomas was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm.

Two weeks earlier, Thomas used the same gun to fatally shoot Troy Pouncey in the 7100 block of South Calumet Avenue in Chicago. The fatal shooting occurred in the afternoon next to a children's playground in nearby William Meyering Park.

Thomas, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in 2024 to a federal charge of illegal firearm possession. On Oct. 1, 2026, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin sentenced Thomas to 15 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

"Thomas's gun possession and sale were serious, but this case presents unique aggravating circumstances because Thomas used the firearm that he sold to murder someone," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Schwartz and Jessica R. Ecker argued in the government's sentencing memorandum. "Too many people in this city believe that they can unlawfully possess firearms with impunity. This needs to stop."