NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

JANUARY 23, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TWO WEST PLAINS MEN INDICTED FOR

STEALING, POSSESSING FIREARMS

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two West Plains, Mo., men were indicted by a federal grand jury today for stealing firearms from a local pawn shop.

JonLuc Ettinger, 19, and Patrick Mitchell, 23, both of West Plains, were charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield.

Today’s indictment alleges that Ettinger and Mitchell stole firearms from Nick’s Pawnshop in West Plains between July 25 and 26, 2007. Ettinger and Mitchell, each having been convicted of a felony crime, are also charged with aiding and abetting one another to illegally possess firearms.

Wood cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Plains, Mo., Police Department, the Howell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

****************

This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on-line at