FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
SHANE COLE JACKSON PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on May 7, 2008, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, SHANE COLE JACKSON, age 20, pled guilty to possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Sentencing is set for August 13, 2008. He is currently released on special conditions.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On August 18, 2006, Billings Police Department officers were sent to a disturbance. The caller said a man and a woman were in a fight and there was a gun present. An officer arrived and met with several people, including the caller. The caller said her son, JACKSON, and his girlfriend were involved in a fight and she had called the police. She said JACKSON fled on foot. A male told the officer that JACKSON told him to throw a gun in the ditch nearby. The male said he had done so.
Officers eventually located a gun in the tall grass. The gun was a sawed-off Remington .870 12 gauge shotgun, with a raggedly cut barrel and a cut off stock. The barrel length was only about 14.25 inches and the overall length about 26.5 inches. The gun had black electrical tape wrapped around the handle. The safety switch was glued in place to the "fire" position. The serial number was covered by the tape. When the officers uncovered the serial number, dispatch advised that the gun had been reported stolen.
JACKSON was eventually located hiding nearby and arrested. When searched at the jail, a bindle of powder later determined to be methamphetamine was recovered
JACKSON'S girlfriend gave a statement in which she said she and JACKSON were fighting as she drove. She said JACKSON told her to slow down because he had a "felony on his lap." She asked him what he was talking about and he said he had a gun. She told the officer that before she left, she removed the gun from her backseat and threw it away from the car on the ground. She said she did not want to get into trouble for it. She said she heard JACKSON'S mother exclaim, "JACKSON, you have a gun?" She said she then drove away.
A records check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records found that no firearms were registered to JACKSON.
JACKSON faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Zink prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Billings Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
