Man found in possession of sawed-off shotgun
Man found in possession of sawed-off shotgun Amie Cato-remer Wed, 08/03/2022 - 06:47
Bobby J. Nichols, 22, of Muldrow, has been charged with possession of sawed-off shotgun/rifle after a traffic stop.
He received a $5,000 bond and is now scheduled for an Aug. 17 arraignment for Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.
Sequoyah County Sheriff‚s deputy Daniel Whitus reported he was patrolling in the area of Hwy. 64 and Hwy. 101 when a vehicle passed him with a defective tail light. The deputy said when he initiated a traffic stop and made contact with Nichols, he told him why he‚d been stopped and asked why the back glass was busted out of his vehicle. Nichols reportedly told the officer the events leading up to the damage and provided his drivers license, but did not have a copy of his insurance verification.
The deputy reported Nichols appeared lethargic and when asked if there was anything illegal inside his vehicle, Nichols said the officer might find some old marijuana in the driver‚s door but then admitted to having a sawed-off shotgun.
Nichols gave the deputy permission to search the truck and dispatch informed the deputy that Nichols had a valid warrant through the Sallisaw Police Department. Nichols was detained and placed in the deputy‚s patrol unit while a search was conducted on the vehicle.
During the search, the deputy reported finding the sawed-off shotgun in the floorboard, which had one round in the chamber and three rounds in the slide. He then told Nichols he was being placed under arrest for the valid warrant and he was transported to the Sallisaw Police Dept.
While en route to the police department, Whitus told Nichols he would be verifying the length of the barrel on the shotgun and if it was illegally modified he would be charged. Nichols stated the gun didn‚t belong to him and actually belonged to a friend.
The deputy measured the barrel at the Sheriff‚s Office where he was able to determine the shotgun was 12 7/8 in length and had a pistol grip instead of a standard grip. Whitus then contacted Sallisaw Police and told them he wished to place a hold on Nichols and his charges. Nichols was then transferred to the Sequoyah County Detention Center on the weapons violation charge.
District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty of the crime, it is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
