The federal government is asking a court to give it control over a Worland, Wyoming, man’s illegal machine gun.
A federal prosecutor Friday asked the U.S. District Court for Wyoming to let the government keep a 9 mm Glock that’s been converted to a machine gun, and a short-barreled rifle seized from the defendant in an illegal weapons case.
Worland resident Steven Shobert, who turns 49 this year, reportedly had both of these guns and three more machine gun conversion devices when charged in federal court last year.
He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun April 11. His sentencing hearing is set for July 3 in Casper.
As part of his plea agreement, Shobert agreed to give up his illegal weaponry, according to the Friday filing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Coppom.
If the federal court grants Coppom’s request, the government will publish notices it has the weapons in case anyone wants to claim he or she has a right to them. If anyone does that, the government would hold a hearing to determine whether the applicant’s claim is legitimate.
If no one else can lay a lawful claim to the weapons, the court may then enter a final order of forfeiture, placing them ultimately under the government's control.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
