Jury Convicts Springfield Man of Illegal Firearms

 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Springfield, Mo., man has been convicted in federal court of illegally possessing firearms.

Derick James Mack, 34, of Springfield, was found guilty on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Mack was in possession of a Hi-Point .45-caliber handgun on Feb. 10, 2012 and in possession of a Mosberg 12-gauge shotgun on March 14, 2012.

Police officers executed a search warrant at a Springfield hotel room that was rented by Mack on Feb. 10, 2012. Officers found the loaded handgun under a pillow on the bed. Officers also found a magnetic key holder containing methamphetamine, a butane lighter, small zip lock bags and a glass pipe in a men’s toiletry bag on a nightstand.

Police officers executed a search warrant at a Springfield residence where Mack was staying on March 14, 2012. Officers found the loaded shotgun between the bed mattresses in the master bedroom and a shotgun shell on a nearby dresser.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mack has a prior felony conviction for assault.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, March 18, 2013.

Under federal statutes, Mack is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $500,000. 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 Timothy A. Garrison and Ami Harshad Patel Miller. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.