Grimy Times Exclusive: A Columbia man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
Victor Lee McNeary, Jr., 39, of Columbia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on June 12, 2015 to 15 years in federal prison without parole. McNeary was sentenced as an armed career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
McNeary was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm on October 23, 2013. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that McNeary was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun on December 11, 2011.
Columbia police officers responded to a disturbance at the Swan Lake Restaurant, 10 Southampton Drive, at approximately 1 a.m. on that day. An officer was informed that McNeary had been in possession of a handgun but had left the scene. Officers found McNeary at a McDonald’s restaurant and questioned him about the disturbance. When an officer searched McNeary and found the handgun in his coat pocket, McNeary was arrested.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. McNeary has six prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, two prior felony convictions for tampering, and a prior felony conviction for attempted burglary.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the Columbia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
McNeary’s long list of prior convictions and his decision to possess a firearm again have landed him a hefty prison sentence. As an armed career offender, McNeary faces time behind bars without the possibility of parole.
Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Related Federal Cases
- Amy Kay Thomas, Kidnapping Conspiracy and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2020 · Florida
- Sheltkeem Brown, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2022 · Kansas
- Kenneth Jordan, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2023 · Kansas
- Harris Ceaser III, Possession of a Firearm as an Unlawful Drug User, Missouri 2008 · Iowa
- Malik Rashod Miller, Felon with Firearm, Missouri 2024 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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