Gun smuggled in Independence police car leads to guilty plea

A man transported in the back of an Independence police car with a loaded gun tucked into his pants has pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm.

Officers had arrested Christopher L. Roche for allegedly passing counterfeit money on July 1 but had failed to find the 9mm handgun when he was frisked.

The weapon was later discovered hidden under a seat inside the patrol car.

After the gun was found, investigators asked Roche if he had considered shooting the officer who was driving the car.

He told them the officer “did not deserve to be shot because he was professional,” according to court documents.

Roche told detectives that he would have considered shooting the officer if he had been unprofessional.

The gun had been reported stolen during a car burglary in Lee’s Summit earlier this year.

Roche, 49, pleaded guilty on Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to a charge of possession of a stolen firearm.

A sentencing date has not been set.

This story was originally published August 30, 2016 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Gun smuggled in Independence police car leads to guilty plea."