United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

DESOTO, TEXAS, MAN FOUND GUILTY OF UNLAWFUL FIREARM POSSESSION

DALLAS – Patrick Dean Cook of Desoto, Texas, was found guilty by a federal jury today of being a felon in possession of multiple firearms in connection with his October 2006 arrest, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Cook, 48, faces a maximum statutory sentence of up to 10 years for possessing seven firearms in a safe at a business near his Desoto residence. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade on January 30, 2008.

During the three-day trial before Judge Kinkeade, the jury heard evidence that the Desoto Police Department received information from an individual in October 2006 that, among other crimes, Cook illegally possessed multiple rifles, which he was storing in a gun safe near his home. The officers obtained a state search warrant which was executed on October 12, 2006. At that time, the officers located a gun safe at a nearby business, and were told by the business owner that the safe and firearms contained within it belonged to Patrick Dean Cook.

Because the business owner did not know the combination to the safe, the officers spoke with Cook, who admitted ownership of the safe and the firearms. Cook consented to the search of his safe and provided the safe’s combination. When the officers could not open the safe, Cook was brought to the business and opened the safe himself. In the safe, the officers found seven functioning firearms, ammunition and personal items belonging to Cook. Because Cook was a convicted felon, he was arrested for the unlawful firearm possession.

The case was adopted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a nationwide effort which targets gun crime. U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Desoto Police Department and the ATF. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Juan Gabriel Rodriguez and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan A. Konig.

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