Felon meth user pleads guilty to possession of assault rifle

Todd P. Graves, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a felon and drug user pleaded guilty in federal court on Oct. 27, to illegally possessing an assault rifle. The indictment, Graves said, is the result of work completed by NITRO.

John Kent McBroom, 38, who currently is incarcerated with the state of Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith this morning to two charges contained in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 3, 2005, in Kansas City.

By pleading guilty, McBroom admitted that he was a felon in possession of a Norinco SKS assault rifle with ammunition on Aug. 14, 2004. Under federal statutes, Graves explained, it is illegal for any felon to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McBroom has a 1999 criminal felony conviction for possessing methamphetamine and a 1997 criminal felony conviction for creation of a controlled substance.

McBroom also pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Under federal statutes, Graves explained, it is illegal for any addict or unlawful user of a controlled substance to possess any firearm or ammunition. McBroom admitted that he was an unlawful user of methamphetamine when he was in possession of the Norinco SKS assault rifle.

“At the time of his initial arrest, law enforcement officers searched McBroom’s residence and recovered the firearm, an assortment of ammunition and items related to the use and manufacture of methamphetamine,” Graves said.

Under federal statutes, Graves said, McBroom may be subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. The case was investigated by the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department, the Daviess County Prosecutor’s Office and NITRO, the Northwest Missouri Interagency Team Response Operation.