Source: Office of United States Attorneys
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Clever, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing seven firearms.
Dakota Mitchell, 21, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of conspiracy to traffick firearms, one count of trafficking firearms, and one count of unlawful possession of firearms.
Mitchell admitted to conspiring with a straw purchaser to obtain four firearms, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances. Mitchell unlawfully possessed six Glock pistols and a Micro Draco pistol between April 28, 2023, and July 9, 2024.
On May 11, 2023, a detective with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a road rage incident at the intersection of Farm Roads 137 and 182. In a post-Miranda interview Mitchell admitted to yelling and shooting at a vehicle that had stopped short at the intersection. GCSO officers seized a Glock 9mm pistol with a high-capacity magazine and a Glock .40 caliber pistol with a high-capacity magazine from the BMW SUV Mitchell was driving.
Officers with the Springfield, Mo., Police Department responded to the scene of a car accident on Jan. 30, 2024, where Mitchell displayed a firearm. The victim of the accident identified Mitchell as the driver and brandisher of the firearm. SPD officers seized a loaded Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a high-capacity magazine from Mitchell.
On April 11, 2024, Ozark School Resource officers recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from a vehicle in the parking lot at Ozark High School. That firearm was ultimately traced back to Mitchell.
On July 9, 2024, when GCSO officers arrested Mitchell in relation to a vandalism incident, he was in possession of a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In a post-Miranda interview Mitchell told officers that he had someone else buy guns for him because he was too young. Mitchell stated that his straw purchaser had purchased the Glock pistol seized on Jan. 30, the Glock seized on April 11, an additional Glock pistol that was not recovered, and an additional Micro Draco pistol for him. He also told officers that he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old and that he occasionally used narcotics and psychedelic drugs.
Mitchell admitted to being a member of an area gang known as “FTO,” who have who have been linked to a number of violent crimes and firearm offenses. Many of the members of FTO are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them.
Under federal statutes, Mitchell is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole on each conviction. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Flossmoor, Ill., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.