Stolen gun found stashed in Independence police car leads to prison sentence
When Independence police arrested Christopher L. Roche last summer for passing counterfeit money, he had a 9mm handgun tucked in his pants.
But officers failed to find the gun before placing Roche in the back of a patrol car.
Only later, after Roche had been taken to the police station, did another officer find the gun hidden under a seat.
Investigators later learned that the gun had been reported stolen in a Lee’s Summit car burglary, and Roche admitted that he possessed the gun.
On Monday, he was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a stolen firearm.
After his arrest, Roche, 50, was asked if he had considered shooting the officer who was taking him to jail.
He said that the officer had been professional and did not deserve to be shot.
Tony Rizzo: 816-234-4435, @trizzkc
This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 7:59 AM with the headline "Stolen gun found stashed in Independence police car leads to prison sentence."