KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Stanberry, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.
Erin L. Graves, 44, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s indictment alleges that Graves was in possession of a Remington 20-gauge shotgun, which had a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, on Jan. 15, 2024. Graves is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Graves has five prior felony convictions for stealing, two prior felony convictions for driving while suspended or revoked, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Gentry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.