A Rockford man has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking and illegal firearm possession. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Michael Mallett, 27, to 103 months in federal prison. Mallett pleaded guilty last year to possession of a controlled substance and unlawful firearm possession.
Mallett admitted that on August 19, 2020, he knowingly possessed 7.39 grams of fentanyl with the intent to sell it. He also acknowledged possessing a Glock Model 32 converted into a machine gun using an "auto sear."
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodora Anderson represented the government.
"Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy," stated officials involved in the case. In Illinois' Northern District, PSN addresses various violent crime issues with a focus on firearm offenses.