A convicted felon has been sentenced to six years in prison after being caught with 215 guns and drugs.
U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig handed down the sentence on Tuesday, addressing the charges against Shawn Dennis Stockard, a 53-year-old from Missouri.
Stockard’s crimes included the illegal transportation of firearms and drug possession with the intent to sell.
He was sentenced to 54 months for the firearms charges and an additional 18 months for the drug charges, totaling 72 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered Stockard to pay a hefty fine of $85,000.
Stockard had pleaded guilty to both charges in June. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit a significant stash of firearms, accessories, and ammunition.
The value of the seized items was estimated at over $230,000. These were discovered during a court-approved search of his home in Cape Girardeau County.
The case unraveled when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated Stockard’s dealings. Authorities discovered that Stockard was using a Federal Firearms License (FFL) registered to a man named William Henry Otto, the owner of Bull Run Weaponry in Missouri.
Stockard bought firearms from an auction house in Illinois using Otto’s license and then transported them to Missouri, where he transferred them to his wife through Otto.
The ATF agents started looking into Stockard in early 2022 when they received reports of his involvement in illegal gun sales.
Upon searching his home, they found hundreds of firearms, numerous accessories, and thousands of rounds of ammunition, all tied to his illegal dealings.
“This sentence sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for breaking federal laws, particularly when it comes to firearms and drug offenses,” said Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.
Stockard wasn’t the only one involved in the illegal gun trade. William Henry Otto and Stockard’s wife have also pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Another individual, Terry Lee Allen, 38, has also pleaded guilty in a related case. Allen was known for purchasing multiple firearms and reselling them illegally.
Investigators found that he was the last person to buy several guns that were later linked to crimes in various states.
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In total, Otto sold 199 guns to Allen, many of which Allen later sold illegally.
The ATF, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis, worked together on this case, bringing multiple offenders to justice.