Show-Me State Times

A Leeton, Missouri man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing a firearm. William N. Brown, 54, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs after pleading guilty earlier this year to being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal.

According to court documents, Brown was found with a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun on February 26, 2024. The serial number on the shotgun had been filed off, and both the barrel and butt stock were sawed off. Authorities say witnesses saw Brown walking to a neighbor’s house carrying both a machete and the shotgun that day.

Deputies from the Johnson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant for Brown’s residence and discovered the modified shotgun hidden inside a seating bench with storage.

Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition. Brown’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions: two for unlawful possession of a firearm, two for unlawful use of a weapon—exhibiting, two for tampering, two for driving while revoked or suspended, as well as additional convictions for assault, arson, burglary, stealing, possession of a controlled substance, and damage to jail property.

“This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings,” according to information released by authorities. “It was investigated by the Johnson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.”

The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America. According to officials: “This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”