A Grandview, Missouri man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing a firearm. John L. Arrocha, 50, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs following his guilty plea on January 29, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, Kansas City police responded on June 2, 2024, to a disturbance involving a trespasser at a business in the 4300 block of Main Street. Officers encountered Arrocha at the scene and reported that he refused to leave the property. When officers attempted to arrest him for trespassing, Arrocha resisted and threatened to kill the arresting officers.
During a search after his arrest, police found Arrocha carrying a North American Arms Guardian .380 caliber pistol that had previously been reported stolen from Claycomo, Missouri. A criminal history check showed that Arrocha was already a convicted felon.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh and investigated by the Kansas City Police Department.
“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,” according to information released about the sentencing. “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.”
