Joseph William Webb of Conrad was convicted in federal court in Great Falls on Thursday of illegal possession of a shotgun and ammunition following a two-day trial, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said in a news release.
The jury found Webb, 27 years old, guilty of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided and set sentencing for February 13. Webb was released pending further proceedings.
Webb faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Webb illegally possessed a shotgun and ammunition after having been convicted of a felony in California in September 2017. Webb was charged after a Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle Webb was driving for speeding on Interstate 15 in Cascade County on August 25, 2018.
The trooper saw a shotgun in plain view in the back seat. The vehicle had been traveling 93 miles per hour in a posted 80 mph zone. A MHP dispatcher checking Webb’s driving information advised the trooper that Webb was on probation in California and was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Webb told the trooper the firearm was in the vehicle when he bought it and that he had moved the shotgun from the trunk to the backseat. Webb consented to a search of the vehicle, and the trooper seized the firearm, a 16 gauge shotgun, along with 10 shotgun shells. The prosecution evidence showed that Webb knew he was a convicted felon on state supervision.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paulette Stewart and Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Highway Patrol and the Great Falls Police Department.
