Indiana Man Sentenced to Prison for Felon In Possession of Stolen Firearms Charges and Absconding to Cuba

DAVENPORT, IA – On August 29, 2016, Shawn Michael Wegmann, 39, of Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose to 150 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and failure to appear, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. Wegmann was ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term, to pay $300 towards the Crime Victims’ Fund, and to pay victim restitution of $2,811.00.

Wegmann pleaded guilty on March 11, 2016, to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a stolen firearm, and failure to appear. According to the plea agreement, Wegmann was involved in three burglaries where numerous guns and other valuable property were taken. Specifically, around January 2015, Wegmann burglarized a house in Long Grove, Iowa, wherein approximately twelve guns were stolen along with a bass boat. Wegmann sold five of the stolen firearms from this burglary to a retailer in Davenport, Iowa, receiving payment for those firearms, and sold another gun to an acquaintance in Muscatine, Iowa.

Then on February 17, 2015, Wegmann burglarized a residence in Morrison, Illinois, and took approximately eleven firearms. Wegmann sold several of the stolen firearms to a person in Muscatine County. And then on February 23, 2015, Wegmann burglarized a residence in Bennett, Iowa, and took a large safe containing approximately fifteen guns. Wegmann and others pried open the safe and the guns were distributed among the participants. Wegmann then helped push the safe into a river to avoid detection.

Prior to November 2014, Wegmann was convicted of at least two felony convictions, which include: Burglary in the Third degree in 1996 (Clinton County, Iowa) and Operating While Intoxicated in 2013 (Clinton County, Indiana).

On July 21, 2015, Wegmann was indicted on three counts for felon in possession of a firearm (Counts 1, 3, 5) and three counts of possession of a stolen firearm (Counts 2, 4, 6). On August 26, 2015, Wegmann was released from the custody of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) with conditions that included GPS monitoring and allowed Wegmann to reside in Kirklin, Indiana.

On October 26, 2015, Wegmann was scheduled to plead to the charges. On October 23, 2015, tamper alerts came in regarding Wegmann’s GPS ankle monitoring device. The GPS device was found cut, taped and zip-tied to the undercarriage of a van in Lafayette, Indiana. A warrant was obtained for Wegmann for a violation of Pre-Trial Release. On October 31, 2015, Wegmann was apprehended in Cuba and detained by Cuban customs officials. On December 8, 2015, Wegmann was expelled from Cuba, arrested by the USMS, and sent back to the SDIA.

This matter was investigated by the Muscatine Police Department, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Department, Muscatine Drug Task Force, Wilton Police Department, Cedar County Sheriff’s Department, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Scott County Sheriff’s Department, Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department, United States Marshal Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative.