Reggie L. Teagues, Possessing a Stolen Firearm, Missouri 2022

KANSAS CITY, MO – A drunken Independence man is facing a decade in federal prison after admitting he possessed a stolen handgun and fired it multiple times from his apartment patio. Reggie L. Teagues, 42, pleaded guilty today to one count of possessing a stolen firearm, a charge stemming from a November 2020 incident that rattled neighbors.

According to court documents, Independence police responded to a 911 call around 4:05 p.m. on November 12, 2020, reporting shots fired. A neighbor initially mistook the sound for fireworks, but quickly realized it was gunfire after spotting Teagues brandishing a handgun on his patio. When officers arrived, they found Teagues slumped on the floor of his living room, reeking of alcohol and admitting to consuming a pint of tequila and PCP since noon.

The pistol, a Kel-Tec 9mm semi-automatic, didn’t belong to Teagues. His girlfriend told investigators the firearm was hers, secured in her bedroom closet, and had been taken without her permission. She frantically rushed home after receiving a call from her daughter, arriving to find the gun lying on the kitchen table. She attempted to get Teagues into the bedroom before police arrived, but was unable to do so. Teagues himself sustained an injury to his elbow, reportedly falling into a bedroom window while on the patio.

Evidence collected at the scene revealed two spent shell casings on the patio and another inside the apartment, near Teagues. The case was jointly investigated by the Independence Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation quickly determined the firearm had been reported stolen, adding a significant layer to the charges against Teagues.

Under the terms of a plea agreement reached today, Teagues will receive a 10-year federal prison sentence with no possibility of parole. The sentencing hearing is pending completion of a pre-sentence investigation report by the United States Probation Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson, a cross-designated prosecutor from the Missouri Attorney General’s office, is prosecuting the case as part of the Safer Streets Initiative.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program focused on reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened PSN strategy in 2021, emphasizing community trust, prevention, strategic enforcement, and measurable results. While officials tout the program’s success, the streets of Independence, like many American cities, continue to bear the scars of gun violence.

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