Jefferson City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms

A Jefferson City man who tried to sell firearms to a local pawn shop pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement officers confiscated 50 weapons from him. 33-year-old Jeremy Roark pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

News release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri

Monday, August 27, 2018, JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man who tried to sell firearms to a local pawn shop pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement officers confiscated 50 weapons from him.

Jeremy L. Roark, 33, of Jefferson City, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps to being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents, Roark attempted to sell six firearms to River City Pawn and Gun in Jefferson City on Dec. 15, 2017. The owner told police officers that Roark brought six firearms to the business: a Colt .45-caliber revolver, a Taurus .38-caliber revolver, a Sig Sauer .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger .22-caliber revolver, a Ruger .357-caliber magnum revolver and a Ruger .45-caliber revolver. Roark also discussed having as many as 70 additional firearms for sale that he could bring to River City Pawn and Gun. The owner didn’t pay Roark for the six guns that were left, and after having no contact with Roark, called the police on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2017.

The next day, investigators interviewed Roark, who acknowledged that he had taken the guns to River City Pawn and Gun. Law enforcement officers recovered approximately 50 firearms from Roark during the course of the investigation.

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 felony convictions for distributing or manufacturing a controlled substance and a prior felony conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol.

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 Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.