PEORIA, Ill. – A federal judge has given a Peoria man almost eight years in prison after a gun found almost two years ago during a traffic stop was his.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says federal Judge James Shadid has given Vincent Nichols, Jr., 35, 92 months in prison after a jury convicted him earlier this year of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
Nichols, prosecutors say, was a passenger in a car stopped by Peoria Police in September of 2020 when officers discovered a loaded nine millimeter handgun on top of the seat he was in. The gun had fifteen live rounds in it, and one in the chamber.
Prosecutors say Nichols, who already had a criminal record, could have received as much as ten years in prison. He’ll get three years of parole when he’s released.
They say Shadid told Nichols people who illegally carry guns, quote, “contribute to the tragedy and heartbreak on our City streets.”
