KC Man Sentenced for Stealing, Illegally Possessing Firearm Used in Killing

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing the firearm he stole from his victim and used to kill him.

Larry D. Bradley, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

On May 11, 2022, Bradley was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm, stealing a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, and receiving a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Bradley has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 9, 2021.

On March 20, 2020, officers with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located Thomas Willett, who was suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, on the floor of the residence. Officers learned that in the heat of an argument, Bradley had shot Willett with a Glock .40-caliber handgun then fled from the residence with the firearm. With the assistance of a police dog, they were able to find Bradley hiding inside a trailer. Bradley no longer had the firearm, so officers asked him where the firearm was located. Bradley led the officers to a tire where he had hidden the firearm. Bradley later admitted that he had stolen the firearm from Willett a couple of days before the shooting.

According to testimony during Bradley’s trial, a conflict arose between Bradley and Willet because he was unwilling to support Bradley’s heroin habit. Bradley had pulled a knife on Willet a few days earlier, and stated several times that he wanted to hurt Willett.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm. Bradley has prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery and second-degree robbery. It is also illegal for anyone who is under indictment for a felony to receive a firearm. At the time he stole the firearm, he was under indictment for the felony possession of methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.