KC Reporter

A Lee’s Summit, Missouri man has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison without parole for illegal possession of firearms. Jacob A. Stockbridge, 31, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs after being found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms.

The charges stem from an incident on November 20, 2022, when Stockbridge was driving a stolen Ford F-150 truck and ran a traffic light at the intersection of W. 23rd Street and S. Crysler Avenue in Independence, Missouri. After colliding with another motorist—who required hospitalization for injuries—Stockbridge fled the scene carrying a firearm. He then went to a nearby gas station and stole a Nissan Altima, leaving behind his wallet containing his Missouri driver’s license and his cell phone in the F-150.

During their investigation, police discovered three shotguns in the backseat of the abandoned F-150: two Winchester Model 97, 12-gauge shotguns and one Beretta A391 Extrema 2, 12-gauge shotgun. Both the firearms and the vehicle had been reported stolen one day prior to the incident.

Before this event, Stockbridge had already been convicted of ten felony offenses in Missouri.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh prosecuted the case with assistance from the Independence Police Department.

“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” according to information provided by officials. “On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”