SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a St. Robert, Mo., man was convicted by a federal jury today of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Marcellus J. Watson, 37, of St. Robert, was found guilty of the charge contained in a Feb. 3, 2010, federal indictment.

St. Robert, Mo., police officers were called to Watson’s residence on July 25, 2009, in reference to a man with a gun. When Watson was frisked, officers located a gun holster on his right hip. Watson then showed the officers where to find a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun on the top shelf of a bedroom closet.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Watson has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm while committing a felony and pointing a firearm at another person.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated about 40 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr, ending a trial that began Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.

Under federal statutes, Watson is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Rush and Tim Garrison. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Robert, Mo., Police Department.

Return to Top