Jury Convicts Jefferson City Man of Illegal Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Jefferson City, Mo., man has been convicted by a federal jury of illegally possessing a firearm.

Charles Allen Roark, 37, of Jefferson City, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm by a federal jury in Jefferson City on Monday, July 18, 2016.

Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that Roark was in possession of a Smith and Wesson .40-caliber pistol on July 18, 2015.

On that date, Jefferson City police officers activated their emergency lights to pull over Roark for having expired license plates. Roark, however, refused to stop and continued driving to the 300 block of Washington Street, where he pulled into a parking lot, got out of his vehicle and fled on foot. Officers pursued Roark on foot. During the pursuit, Roark pulled a pistol from his waistband and threw it on the ground. Roark scaled a fence and continued to flee. 

An officer was able to grab Roark and take him to the ground. Roark continued to resist, but officers were able to gain control. During the pursuit, one of the officers broke his ankle. Officers found the loaded pistol lying on the ground during a search of the area. Roark was in possession of $20,131, of which $8,151 was recovered from underneath the soles of his shoes.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Roark has prior federal felony convictions for distributing controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Roark also has two prior state felony convictions for possession of controlled substances, two prior state felony convictions for assault, and prior state felony convictions for driving while intoxicated and unlawful use of a weapon.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, ending a trial that began the same day.

Under federal statutes, Roark is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. 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. Attorney Jim Lynn. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.