CONVICTED FELON FOUND GUILTY OF MAILING FIREARMS SILENCER

Springfield, MA... A former Feeding Hills man was found guilty late yesterday by a federal trial jury of being a convicted felon who mailed a firearms silencer across state lines.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New England; Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New England, and Peter Zegarac, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in New England, announced that MICHAEL CROOKER, age 52, formerly of 1162 Springfield Street, Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, was convicted by a jury sitting before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor of mailing a firearms silencer across state lines as a convicted felon.

Evidence presented during the eight-day trial proved that in June, 2004, CROOKER, a previously convicted felon, mailed a homemade firearms silencer from Feeding Hills to Celina, Ohio. CROOKER was previously convicted in December of 1993, of federal False Claims and gun charges and sentenced to serve 96 months in prison. Under federal law an individual previously convicted of a federal or state felony is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Federal law defines firearm silencers as firearms.

Judge Ponsor scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2006. CROOKER faces up to 15 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Regan in Sullivan's Springfield Office.

Press Contact: Samantha Martin, (617) 748-3139