(Sioux City)– A Sheldon man who made and used sawed-off shotguns has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison. One of the guns discharged and killed Sheldon teenager Shelley Gonnerman in October, 2002. The shooting took place in Sheldon at the home of co-defendant Shane Meyer.
25-year-old Lathan Matrell Barnett was sentenced to 145 months in jail after pleading guilty in U-S District Court to four federal firearms charges. They include making and carrying a short barreled shotgun during a crime of violence; making sawed-off shotguns which were not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record; knowingly possessing sawed-off shortened shotguns not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record; and possessing two short-barreled and shortened-length shotguns while being an unlawful user of marijuana.
Barnett was sentenced to 109 months on the charge of using an illegal shotgun during a crime of violence. He received a sentence of 36 months on each of the other counts, to be served consecutive to the 109-month sentence.
Barnett was also ordered to make restitution to Gonnerman’s family of nearly 8,400-dollars to cover medical and funeral expenses.
In a plea hearing, Barnett admitted the guns had been stolen by Meyer from Meyer’s father’s residence and that they had been altered.
