Local man enters guilty plea for firearms

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Stoddard County man pled guilty in federal court on Friday on charges for the unlawful possession of a firearm.

Robert Charles Hennecke III, 22, of Dexter, pled guilty to one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr.

According to a news release from United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway, on April 1, a deputy for the Stoddard County, Missouri sheriff's office stopped a vehicle in Stoddard County in regards to another investigation. The vehicle was registered to Hennecke, who was a passenger in the car. The deputy asked Hennecke for consent to search the car, to which he agreed. When the deputy searched the trunk of the vehicle, he found a Mossberg, 12 gauge shotgun. Further investigation determined that Hennecke had purchased this shotgun from another man in Southeast Missouri. Due to Hennecke's prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Hennecke now faces a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for Feb. 23.

Keith D. Sorrell handled the prosecution for the government.

Comments

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Does anyone else think this is a little excessive? If you have paid your time, your finished, if he was still a danger to society he should still be locked up. I do not know what his first felony was for, but come on. Up to ten years, and $250,000. I have never been in trouble in my life, and I will not give consent for anyone to search my vehicle without a warrent.

I minored in criminal justice, and didn't realize how many rights I had during a traffic stop.

Sorry to get up on a stump!

-- Posted by mobrigade on Tue, Nov 25, 2008, at 11:40 AM

I think it's perfectly fine. If you're a previously convicted felon, then you're a danger to society. If you want to purchase a gun, and it's been over 7 years since you were charged, have your record expunged, then get a gun. That's the problem with people who break the law...even if it's just minor, they still break the law.

-- Posted by mrsdolphin on Tue, Nov 25, 2008, at 4:26 PM

No all convicted felons are a danger to society. People change. It makes me sick when people assume because someone has had a felony conviction they are automatically bad people. What does getting your record expunged prove? You could get it expunged and still be a bad person.

-- Posted by johndeeregirl on Wed, Nov 26, 2008, at 1:25 PM

Too bad they did not teach you english. Warrent is actually spelled warrant. The law is THE LAW. He should have known the law since that particular law applied to him specifically. You break the law you pay the consequences, whatever they are. "Up to" does not mean he will get that sentence. It is up to the judge to decide and I am sure he will look at the circumstances surrounding the case and go from there.

-- Posted by MikeM68 on Thu, Nov 27, 2008, at 12:31 AM