KC Felon Gets 15 Years for Illegal Ammo

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man named Joseph L. Hill has been handed a 15-year federal prison sentence for illegal ammunition possession.

Hill, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips and labeled an armed career criminal due to his previous felony convictions.

The court records indicate that Hill pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, 2016, to being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to the plea, Hill had 40 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition, five rounds of .40-caliber ammunition, 10 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, and 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition at his residence on July 15, 2015.

A search warrant executed by Kansas City police officers uncovered the arsenal following a series of drug transactions with an informant. The ammunition was stored in a safe, along with $1,000 cash and a jar containing suspected marijuana residue. Two handguns, including a Jimenez 9mm and a Savage Arms .32-caliber semi-automatic, were also found within the residence.

Hill denied any knowledge of the firearms, though they were discovered in other parts of his home. Hill has four prior felony convictions for selling controlled substances and one for unlawful use of a weapon.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes and investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

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