The man charged with shooting six police officers in Philadelphia on Aug. 14 was a federal informant for years, according to documents obtained by The Appeal. In 2010, Maurice Hill was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In a sentencing memo, his lawyer noted that “he has testified before the Grand Jury on two occasions, was willing to testify at trial, and provided information about a shooter that led to an arrest.” “He has cooperated with the Government and provided information that has and will likely continue to imperil his safety and that of his family,” the document says. His lawyer argued Hill should receive a reduced prison sentence as a result. Hill was ultimately sentenced to 55 months in federal prison followed by three years on supervised release. According to statistics published by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the average sentencing for Hill’s crime was more than 75 months.

Shortly after the Philadelphia cop shooting, U.S. Attorney William McSwain blamed District Attorney Larry Krasner for promoting a “new culture of disrespect for law enforcement.” In response, Krasner spokesperson Jane Roh told The Appeal “The [district attorney’s office] has no interest in engaging with Bill McSwain’s inappropriate attempts to run for political office from his taxpayer-funded perch in Donald Trump’s DOJ.”