Judge sentences East Prairie man to 120 months on gun charges

An East Prairie, Missouri, man was sentenced Wednesday to prison on a stolen firearm charge.

Benjamin C. Wallace, 40, of East Prairie was sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty in July for possession of a stolen firearm, according to U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp.

On Feb. 16, 2020, a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer stopped Wallace for a traffic violation. When Wallace stepped out of the truck he had been driving, the officer noticed several bulges in Wallace's clothing. The officer asked Wallace whether he had any weapons or knives. Wallace replied, "Not on me." The officer then asked whether Wallace had any weapons inside the truck. Wallace said, "Yes" and the firearm was in the backseat area next to a male passenger. The officer arrested Wallace, who admitted he took the shotgun from another residence without the owner's permission and he knew the New England Firearms shotgun was stolen when he possessed it.

The case was investigated by the Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith D. Sorrell handled the prosecution for the government.