Paducah, KY - A Hopkinsville man was sentenced yesterday to 4 years and 9 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony offense.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.

According to court documents, Eric L. Clark, 42, was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a RG Industries .22 caliber revolver on December 31, 2020. Clark was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

On April 26, 2017, in Christian Circuit Court, Clark was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (less than 4 grams of cocaine), first offense.

On April 26, 2017, in Christian Circuit Court, Clark was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (less than 4 grams of cocaine), first offense (two counts).

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Hopkinsville Police Department and the ATF Bowling Green Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney's Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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