Federal judge sentences three men in illegal gun sales

Thursday, May 9, 2013

photo Getty Images/iStockphoto

Three men convicted on charges of illegal gun sales were sentenced in federal court today.

U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier sentenced Carl Monroe, 68, to six months probation; Jack Wardlaw, 66, to one year house arrest; and Kevin Dawson, 41, to two years 10 months.

The three men, along with Monroe's brother Richard Monroe, were arrested in connection with illegal gun sales after an ATF and IRS investigation.

Prosecutors alleged that the men placed advertisements selling guns or traveled to gun shows and sold weapons without a federal firearms license.

Police traced at least one firearm purchased by then-fugitive felon Jesse Mathews, who later killed Chattanooga police Sgt. Tim Chapin during a robbery.

The weapon used to kill Chapin was not the weapon sold to him by Dawson.

Dawson and Wardlaw both pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges against them last year. Monroe went to trial, along with his brother Richard Monroe, in December.

Carl was found guilty on one count of selling a weapon to a convicted felon. The jury acquitted Richard Monroe.

Dawson will remain free until his June 10 reporting date to federal prison.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.