Carter County man gets two years for gun-related charges

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Carter County man was sentenced Thursday afternoon to nearly two years in federal prison for the illegal possession of firearms.

Charles D. Cannon was sentenced to 21 months on the felony of felon in possession of a firearm by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.

Upon his release, Sorrell said, Cannon will be placed on a two-year period of supervised released.

Sorrell said Limbaugh ordered Cannon’s sentence to be served consecutively to “pending state probation revocation cases in Ripley and Butler counties.”

With his earlier plea, Cannon admitted on May 30 he was a convicted felon, having been convicted of the felonies of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon in Ripley County in 2018.

Those charges are one of two cases that Cannon has pending for possible revocation of his probation. The second is a Class D felony of no valid license in Butler County.

The plea agreement signed by Cannon says, on May 30, the Carter County Sheriff’s Department received a call reporting an altercation at a Carter County home.

“One of the people involved in the altercation was identified as Charles D. Cannon,” the plea agreement says. “The caller stated that Cannon had driven away from the Carter County home in a late model, white Monte Carlo, Chevrolet vehicle.”

A Ripley County deputy saw the Monte Carlo and stopped it in Ripley County, the plea agreement further says.

“The officer discovered a handgun in the vehicle during the traffic stop,” the plea agreement further says. “The handgun is described as a Rossi .357 magnum caliber revolver …”

During an interview, Cannon reportedly admitted the handgun belonged to him.

“At the time of his possession of the Rossi firearm, Cannon knew that he had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year,” the plea agreement said.

As part of his plea, Cannon reportedly agreed to forfeit the handgun.