Statewire

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Four of the 10 cases filed after a police roundup of people who bought guns for felons and those who received the firearms have been dismissed, a newspaper reported today.

Only one person arrested in that May roundup has served jail time for the offense, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The roundup followed the release of federal data that showed local gun store Badger Guns & Ammo sold more guns recovered in criminal investigations than any other dealer nationwide in 1998.

One case was dismissed because prosecutors did not believe they could prove the buyer knew the recipient of the gun was a felon, the newspaper said.

Another was tossed because police illegally seized evidence against a man, a prosecutor said. A third case was thrown out because the key witness did not show up in court, and the fourth case was so weak it did not make it past the preliminary hearing stage, the Journal Sentinel said.

A fifth case is on hold because the defendant is wanted on a warrant for not appearing in court, the newspaper said.

Demorra Rhodes, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to 201 days in the House of Correction. He faced up to two years in prison.

Rhodes was initially sentenced to three years of probation, but he was arrested for allegedly beating his girlfriend and other crimes.

Jury trials are scheduled in the four other cases.

” These are hard cases to prove, absent a confession, ” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Robert Donohoo.

The district attorney’ s office has taken an aggressive stance on such cases, Donohoo said.

” Operation Ceasefire, ” a major cooperative law enforcement effort launched this month, will mean more and better cases because more resources are available for investigations and prosecutions, he said.

The program will funnel some weapons cases to federal court and create a state gun court and a task force to investigate weapons offenses.

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