KC Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm after Shoplifting Arrest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm after being arrested for shoplifting at Home Depot.

Joachim B. Jagetz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to seven years and eight months in federal prison without parole.

On Nov. 28, 2018, Jagetz pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jagetz was arrested for shoplifting on June 19, 2018, after he tried to leave the Home Depot store at 111 E. Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. Jagetz had placed items from the hardware section inside a red backpack he carried on his shoulder, and walked out of the store without paying for those items. Jagetz was stopped by store employees and waited in the security office until police officers arrived.

An officer placed Jagetz in handcuffs and arrested him for shoplifting. Officers searched Jagetz and found a loaded SCCY 9mm semi-automatic pistol inside his pants.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Jagetz has a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also has two prior felony convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers. The two officers were shot during the incident and two other officers were also shot at during the incident. Additionally, Jagetz has a prior felony conviction related to drug trafficking while he was incarcerated. 

Six weeks prior to Jagetz’s arrest for shoplifting, he possessed a stolen  Sig Sauer .45-caliber handgun while in possession of methamphetamine. Under the terms of his plea agreement, those charges were dismissed but considered by the court as relevant conduct for purposes of sentencing. Jagetz was previously verified as a member of the Freemont Hustlers.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.