New Ulm Felon Indicted For Possessing Four Firearms

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier this week in federal court in St. Paul, a 48-year-old felon from New Ulm was indicted for possessing four firearms. On March 4, 2013, Buck Otto White was charged with one count of being felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on February 14, 2013, White possessed a 10-gauge shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a 7.62-caliber rifle. Because he is a felon, White, also known as Timothy Joseph Hoffman, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. His prior convictions include burglary in the second degree (Hennepin County in 1984), attempted burglary in the first degree (Anoka County in 1991), burglary in the second degree (Kanabec County in 1995), assault in the fourth degree (Anoka County in 1994), and attempted violation in the controlled substance law in the first degree (Hennepin County in 2006). Because these convictions constituted crimes of violence or drug trafficking, White is subject to the federal Armed Career Criminal Act. That act mandates a minimum of 15 years in prison for anyone subsequently convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office, the New Ulm Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Newberry.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.