A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced on Apr. 16 to fifty-four months in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address violent crime involving firearms. The sentencing of Christopher W. Abrams, age 52, took place before U.S. Chief District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Abrams was found with an unregistered Winchester Model 37, 12-gauge single-shot shotgun during an encounter with police responding to reports of a possible armed robbery on Feb. 10, 2024.
According to the press release, officers located the loaded sawed-off shotgun inside Abrams’ jeans waistband after stopping him near Independence Avenue and Van Brunt Boulevard. The firearm had been modified with its stock cut down and wrapped in black duct tape; the barrel showed signs of having been shortened with multiple saw marks.
Abrams has twelve prior felony convictions before this latest sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh prosecuted the case following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City Police Department.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri handles federal prosecutions across sixty-six counties stretching from Iowa to Arkansas borders and halfway across Missouri from west to east according to its official website. The office is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website, operates out of Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield according to its official website, collaborates closely with various law enforcement partners according to its official website, and supports outreach programs aimed at reducing violent crime according to its official website.
