CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Poplar Bluff man pleaded guilty Monday morning in federal court to illegally possessing the firearms and ammunition found during a 2017 search of his home.
Rickey Lynn Hurt, 32, pleaded guilty as charged to the felony of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition before U.S. District Judge Ronnie White, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell.
As part of the plea agreement, signed by Sorrell, Hurt and his attorney, Jacob Zimmerman, Hurt admitted to the elements of the offense of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
The agreed-upon facts of the case say on Dec. 4, 2017, Hurt had been convicted of the felony of resisting arrest in Stoddard County in May 2006.
On Dec. 4, 2017, deputies with the Butler County Sheriff’s Department reportedly obtained and executed a search warrant for Hurt’s residence, where he had lived, along with his mother and girlfriend.
The property was located on County Road 552, off of Highway T.
Authorities, according to earlier reports, had sought the search warrant after receiving information Hurt allegedly was in possession of firearms, including some stolen ones, and evidence possibly related to the 2015 death of Edward Goodwin.
“During a search of the structures on that property, the officers found and seized several firearms and rounds of ammunition,” the plea agreement says.
The “seized property” included a Ruger Mini 14 .223-caliber rifle; a Revelation .410 shotgun; a J.C. Higgins 20-gauge shotgun; a Norinco 7.62 X 39mm caliber rifle; a Remington .22-caliber rifle; a Richmond Arms 16-gauge shotgun; a Remington .308-caliber rifle; a Remington rifle.
Also seized were 17 rounds of .300-caliber Winchester magnum ammunition, 22 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition and numerous rounds of .410 and 7.62 X 39mm caliber.
“Further investigation revealed that Rickey Lynn Hurt was in possession of the firearms and ammunition…,” the plea agreement further says. “By this plea, (he) admits that he was in possession of the firearms and ammunition … .”
After accepting Hurt’s plea, White set his sentencing for Aug. 20. At that time, Hurt faces up to 10 years in federal prison, followed by up to a three-year period of supervised release.
As part of his plea, Hurt reportedly agreed to forfeit the eight firearms and all the ammunition seized by officers during the search of his property.
At the time of Hurt’s November indictment, he was awaiting trial in Wayne County on the Class A felony of first-degree murder in connection to Goodwin’s death.
Hurt is to stand trial March 23-27, 2020 on the charge before Circuit Judge Kelly Parker.