Covington man pleads guilty
to two counts federal gun charges

By Erik Sanzenbach
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, September 11, 2009 8:55 AM CDT

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

U.S. Attorney Jim Letten announced Wednesday that a Covington man pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance to federal gun charges.

Cody Callender, 23, 800 W. 17th Ave., Covington, was charged Feb. 9 with possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.

According to a factual basis document, on Feb. 9 of this year, Covington police went to Callender’s house on a disturbance call.

Callender’s girlfriend told police that Callender had ordered her out of the house, and wanted police to escort her so she could gather her possessions in safety.

With the girlfriend’s permission, police entered Callender’s house. They did not find him, but found a sawed-off shotgun leaning against a sofa.

Police located Callender at a local bar and upon questioning, Callender admitted he owned the shotgun, a Mossberg 500AT 12 gauge, and he knew the barrel had been shortened. According to federal law, a shotgun must have a barrel length of 18 inches.

Callender’s shotgun had a barrel that was 16 and three-quarters inches long.

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents also discovered that Callender had not registered the weapon. Callender was convicted of domestic violence Feb. 6, 2006.

Letten said that Callender will be sentenced by Judge Vance Dec. 2. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

No comments posted.

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.