Stanberry Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Stanberry, Mo., man who threatened to kill law enforcement officers when he was arrested was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun.

Erin L. Graves, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to eight years and four months in federal prison without parole.

On May 1, 2024, Graves pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to illegally possessing an unregistered firearm. Graves admitted he was in possession of a stolen Remington 20-gauge shotgun, which had a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, on Jan. 15, 2024.

Today's sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice, due to multiple threats Graves made to several law enforcement officers.

According to court documents, Graves referred to the sawed-off shotgun as his "cop killer" and stated that if he had shells for it, the officers' heads would be splattered all over the wall. On the way to jail, he threatened to kill the transporting deputy and force his family to watch. He also stated that he should have killed the officers and threatened that if given a chance, he would do it. Additionally, Graves made several threats against the guards and security officers at the jail and the Department of Corrections, stating they "better have several down there" because he's "going to take as many of [them] out as he can." Graves also made threatening statements regarding his parole officer.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Graves, who was on parole in two separate state cases at the time of this federal offense, has five prior felony convictions for stealing, two prior felony convictions for driving while suspended or revoked, two prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Gentry County, Mo., Sheriff's Office, and the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

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. 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.