A Springfield, Missouri resident was sentenced on Mar. 10 to 46 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Joseph Bradley Garrison, 48, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, who ordered it to run consecutively with Garrison’s prior state conviction in Lawrence County for burglary, stealing, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and prosecutors to address violent crime and illegal weapons possession in the region. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri supports community outreach and prevention programs aimed at addressing issues like violent crime and drug trafficking, according to the official website.
According to court documents, Springfield police officers stopped Garrison on June 30, 2023, after observing him walking in the street despite a sidewalk being present. When asked if he had anything illegal or dangerous on him, Garrison admitted he had a firearm but claimed it did not work. Officers searched him and found both a firearm and a small improvised explosive device. The explosive device was safely detonated by the Springfield Fire Marshal. Law enforcement determined that the firearm could be repaired and made functional.
Officers confirmed that Garrison was a convicted felon with two prior convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm as well as eleven other felony offenses including assault, burglary, resisting arrest, tampering with a motor vehicle, possession of controlled substances, and forgery. These convictions prohibited him from possessing either firearms or explosive devices.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri handles federal prosecutions and civil litigation across 66 counties in western Missouri according to its official website. The office has locations in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield and collaborates with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners across its jurisdiction from the Iowa border south to Arkansas and west from Kansas halfway across Missouri.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney prosecuted this case following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Springfield Police Department.
