Idaho prosecutor stole guns, sold them

[KBCraig]

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060530/NEWS01/60530021&SearchID=73246482655426

Former Idaho Falls prosecutor could spend up to five years in prison for stealing, selling guns

A former Idaho Falls prosecutor could spend up to five years in prison after being sentenced Tuesday for stealing weapons from the city of Idaho Falls to sell them.

Kimball Mason resigned this January after 13 years as a contracted city prosecutor and admitted in April to unlawfully taking 19 guns from the city that had been seized in criminal cases, according to Attorney General's reports.

Mason was sentenced Tuesday to three five-year prison terms for two counts of grand theft and one count of falsifying a public record ? although Mason might only spend six months in an Idaho Department of Correction facility.

Senior Judge William Woodland retained jurisdiction on Mason, which means Mason will receive treatment and evaluation for 180 days at a IDOC facility. Woodland will determine after the six months whether Mason should be put on probation for the duration of his sentence.

Mason could have stolen as many as 51 guns, but there wasn?t sufficient evidence to file criminal charges for all of the thefts, Bob Cooper, a spokesman for the Idaho Attorney General?s office said.

Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said in a press release that his primary concern in prosecuting Mason was making sure he was convicted of multiple felonies.

?The sentence in this case is, as it should be, harsher than that usually received by offenders with no prior criminal record, ? Wasden said. "It is important that Idahoans have confidence in their government."

Mason also surrendered his license to practice law and paid $8,400 in restitution to the city for the value of the stolen firearms.

[KBCraig]

http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcstories.cfm&ID=2875

MORE ON MASON'S CRIMES
May 31, 2006 -KPVI

The day after the former Idaho Falls city prosecutor was sentenced to serve at least six months for corruption, we're learning more about the investigation. Suzanne Hobbs has been going through the 1,000-page attorney general's investigation.

It shows that Mason was living a lie for many years. He was being paid a huge salary to prosecute misdemeanor cases for the city. At the same time, he was committing criminal acts by taking mostly worthless items like T-shirts, sunglasses, and ammunition. He's still being held in the Bonneville County Jail in an isolation cell until he's transported to the Idaho State Correctional Institution near Boise in a few days.

There is a possibility that more criminal activity might have been found, but in felony cases, the statute of limitations is five years. Mason was city prosecutor for nearly 13 years.

Idaho Falls Police Chief Kent Livsey started getting suspicious about Kimball Mason in August of last year when two issues became red flags. Jimmie Caudle complained that Kimball Mason took two of his guns illegally after his arrest, and in another case, Mason took a Suburban seized in a drug case. A letter dated November 22nd written by Bonneville County Prosecutor Dane Watkins Junior requests the Attorney General's Office begin an investigation.

Stephen Bywater, Attorney General's Office: "They were aware of some problems regarding a Suburban vehicle that had been forfeited that ended up in his personal possession - that, as well as Mr. Caudle's complaint about the conflicting court orders on his guns were the things that led them to contact us."

The investigation grew from there. There is a list of all 125 items taken by Mason from the police property room - using a court order signed by a judge, or written by Mason himself.

Stephen Bywater, Attorney General's Office: "He basically abused the trust of the people that he was working with and their reliance on him and his position and his reputation and obtained a lot of things released from the police evidence room."

In just one day - October 3rd, 2002 - Mason showed orders to the property technician at the police department that he was to take possession of 48 seized items. Those included not only guns and rifles but BB guns, knives, swords, binoculars, fake Oakley sunglasses, and T-shirts.

Stephen Bywater, Attorney General's Office: "Why he took them I don't know, but that's the essence of what we found is that there was a large amounts of property taken."

While the prosecutor, he also pocketed several thousand dollars of forfeited cash from drug cases. It's not the job of the property technician to question a judge's order, says Chief Livsey.

Chief Kent Livsey, Idaho Falls Police: "He took it via court orders, which are legal signed documents, so he took the evidence out of the room legally. What he did with it after he took it out becomes the criminal issue."

Because of this case, the Idaho Falls Police Department has changed its policy. It no longer seizes property that includes cash or cars in misdemeanor drug cases. The police department will soon bring in an expert to audit the property room and offer ways to improve.

Mason said in court Tuesday that he acted alone in his greed, and apologized to those he innocently involved.

There are many more items unaccounted for, including dozens of guns. If you have one, it's considered stolen property.

[xbooker]

Well its a good thing he is a prosecutor because if it was me or any other working man or women we would get 15 years and 5 years probation are system sucks.
He will be out in a few months move to a different state and do it all over again.
Then Get the felony sponged out and be just fine.
3 months probation within 2 years everything will be just just like before for him.
But hey its the American way screw the people