Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegal Firearm
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — David M. Ketchmark, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Justin D. Wooliver, 31, of Springfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Dorr to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Wooliver was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions.
On March 7, 2012, Wooliver pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wooliver was arrested by Springfield police officers on Dec. 16, 2008. Officers contacted Wooliver when he got out of a van and raised the hood. Wooliver told officers the van had broken down. An officer searched Wooliver and found a syringe containing a small amount of clear liquid in his jacket pocket. He was arrested for being in possession of a controlled substance and the vehicle was searched. Officers found a .25–caliber semi–automatic handgun under the driver’s seat.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Wooliver has three prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior felony convictions for assault, and prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property, robbery and possession of methamphetamine.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available on–line at
http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html
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