Pocatello man pleads to illegal possession of a firearm
Marcus Tharpe, 36, of Pocatello has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to U.S. Attorney Bart Davis, Tharpe was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on June 27, 2017.
Court records show police received reports that Tharpe had threatened another man with a gun at his home on February 17, 2017. Pocatello Police responded and found Tharpe in his truck a short distance away. On the floorboard of the truck, police said they found an SKS semi-automatic rifle. It was within reach of Tharpe from the driver’s seat and was loaded with 18 rounds.
Tharpe is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction. The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 2, 2018 before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
Tharpe’s case was investigated by the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office and Pocatello Police. It is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Eastern Idaho Partnership and the State of Idaho. The S.A.U.S.A. Eastern Idaho Partnership is a collaboration of elected officials from 13 counties and 18 cities across eastern Idaho in partnership with the Idaho Department of Correction and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
