A Peoria man with a prior conviction was slapped with a 57-month federal sentence for gun possession, officials said. Jamarcus J. Hollingsworth, 30, will also see three years of supervised release following his prison time.
According to the Department of Justice, undercover agents got a tip in May 2023 that Hollingsworth, a known felon, was not just having firearms but was also actively trying to peddle a pistol in Peoria. The officers from the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force swung into action, eventually cornering Hollingsworth at a local hotel where they found a loaded pistol casually resting on the driver’s seat of his car. They swiftly proceeded to quickly secure a search warrant for his residence, unearthing an AR-15 rifle with a scrubbed serial number and loaded with live rounds.
Hollingsworth was on parole for aggravated robbery at the time of his arrest. His previous history with the law played a part in the sentencing handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade. Hollingsworth had admitted to his guilt in a September 2023 plea.
The Task Force that nabbed Hollingsworth includes members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Peoria Police Department, the Peoria County Sheriff's Department, and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna carried the prosecution's baton in the case against Hollingsworth.
