A federal jury in Chicago has convicted Cedric Curtis, 32, of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun. The transactions occurred in 2018 and 2019 with a buyer who was secretly cooperating with federal law enforcement. Curtis, who had a prior felony conviction, was not legally allowed to possess firearms and was also unlicensed to deal them.
The U.S. District Court jury found Curtis guilty on charges of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., under U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, alongside Douglas S. DePodesta from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf are representing the government.
In connection to this case, co-defendant Deonta Moore, 31, also from Chicago, pleaded guilty before trial to illegal firearm possession by a felon and received a sentence of three years and one month in federal prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at tackling violent crime issues in the Northern District of Illinois through federal prosecution efforts focused on firearm offenses.
