Trail of stolen jewelry helps nab Williamsville man on gun charge

CAPE GIRARDEAU — A Williamsville man pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this week to illegally possessing firearms.

Marty Lewis Luke, 57, pleaded guilty as charged Monday afternoon to felon in possession of a firearm, a felony, before U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark.

The agreed-upon facts of the case say in January 2019, officers were trying to locate Luke and Donald Wayne Sanders to speak with them, Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell reported.

The men, according to earlier reports, were suspects in a series of burglaries in Butler County in which guns, jewelry and coins were stolen.

Luke, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs earlier said, was “on camera” at a residence he allegedly was attempting to burglarize.

“At one point, his vehicle, a white Ford Ranger extended cab, had been seen at one previous burglary,” Dobbs said.

At the time, Dobbs described Luke as a “serial burglar. We put him in prison about 10 years ago.”

Luke reportedly had been released from prison in September 2018, and Dobbs said, authorities believed he started burglarizing homes soon after his release.

On Jan. 14, 2019, officers reportedly saw Luke and Sanders exit a Poplar Bluff motel, get into a white Ford pickup and drive away. Luke was the driver.

“The officers had probable cause to stop the truck, so they turned on their emergency lights,” the plea agreement signed by Luke says. “The truck accelerated away, with the officers in pursuit.”

During the chase, the officers reportedly saw the truck’s occupants throw a rifle out of the pickup.

“The truck crashed, with both Luke and Sanders fleeing from the scene,” the plea agreement further says. “Both were captured after a short foot chase.”

Butler County deputies, according to earlier reports, followed a partial trail of suspected stolen jewelry to the pair.

The officers recovered the firearm, a Ruger .22-caliber rifle, from the road where it had landed after being thrown from the truck.

With his plea, “Luke admits that he and Donald Sanders were jointly in possession of the Ruger rifle,” which had “previously been reported stolen from its owner.”

At the time of his arrest, Luke was a convicted felon, having been convicted of the felony of felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri in May 2008.

After accepting Luke’s plea, Sorrell said, Clark set sentencing for 3 p.m. Jan. 19.

At that time, Luke faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to a three-year period of supervised release.

Sanders also was indicted in connection with the incident.

In September, the 62-year-old pleaded guilty to the felonies of felon in possession of firearms and attempting to intimidate or threaten a government witness in the midst of his trial.

Sanders faces up to 10 years in prison on the weapons charge and up to 20 years on his other charge when he is sentenced at 9 a.m. Jan. 19.

Luke and Sanders originally faced charges in Butler County in connection to the burglaries, but those charges reportedly later was dismissed.