EAST ST. LOUIS — A Southern Illinois jury found a 57-year-old man guilty of three federal charges after he fired at law enforcement officers who came to an East St. Louis motel in June 2025 to arrest him for violating supervised release.
Earl Frank, of O’Fallon, Illinois, was convicted of assault on a federal officer, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a firearm by a felon.
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According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Frank had been a fugitive since cutting off his ankle monitor in St. Louis in July 2024 while on supervised release. Members of the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force went to the Royal Budget Inn in June 2025 after learning he was staying there.
Body-worn camera footage showed officers forcefully knocking and announcing themselves three times before using a key to open Frank’s motel room door. Frank fired a gun at the officers when an officer opened the door.
Officers took Frank into custody about 10 minutes after he fired the shot. They recovered a .380-caliber pistol and a spent .380-caliber shell casing from the room, along with a box of .380-caliber ammunition from his car parked outside. Frank’s prior felony conviction prohibited him from legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.
“Earl Frank is a dangerous criminal who had been on the run for nearly a year. When Deputy U.S. Marshals caught up with him, he opened fire instead of surrendering,” U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said. “We stand behind our law enforcement partners, which is why this case went to trial with no plea deal. Frank will face the full weight of federal law.”
Deputy U.S. Marshal Kyle Schulte of the Southern District of Illinois praised the officers and agencies involved.
“Our Deputy U.S. Marshals and task force officers went to that hotel room to execute an arrest warrant and were met with gunfire. I’m proud of the professionalism and courage displayed that day and grateful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors who helped bring this individual to justice,” Schulte said.
Frank faces up to 20 years in prison for assault on a federal officer, a mandatory minimum of 10 years for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and up to 15 years for possession of a firearm by a felon.
ATF led the investigation with assistance from the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal and Kathleen Howard are prosecuting the case.
