19 year-old Jonathan Gideon, a high school student, is spending the first night of an 8-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to being in possession of a sawed-off shot gun in Magistrate's Court today.
The incident happened yesterday at around 10 a.m. at the Novelos Bus Terminal. Police officers were on mobile patrol, and one of them spotted Gideon and 3 other males exiting the terminal area. The officer decided to search the group, and as soon as they made for the 4 men, Gideon tried to avoid them. Because he acted suspiciously, the officers detained him and searched his Old Navy school bag, where they found a 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun with 4 cartridges.
Police subsequently charged Gideon with keeping a prohibited firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition. He was arraigned today before Magistrate Herbert Panton, and he pleaded guilty to both offences.
Magistrate Panton's hands were tied because the penalties for firearm offences are stiff. He sentenced Gideon to spend 5 years in jail for the sawed-off shot gun, and an additional 3 years in jail for the unlicensed ammunition. Both sentences are to run consecutively, and so, he will spend 8 years in jail. When he pleaded guilty Gideon explained to the magistrate that he got the gun because he was tired of people taking advantage of him and taking him lightly.
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