This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Four men who stole nine handguns from the Blanding Police Department in August have pleaded guilty to their crimes in U.S. District Court.
The guns were taken from the department during a burglary and discovered on Aug. 22, when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle and found two of the firearms, according to court documents.
Investigators later found the remaining guns with the various defendants. Charged with felony possession of a firearm in federal court were: Matthew Ryan Dudley, of Washington, 21; Thomas Richard Dale Goatz, of Enoch, 22; Nathan Scott Holliday, of Cedar City, 21; and 22-year-old Wesley Plexico, of Cedar City.
All recently entered guilty pleas in federal court after reaching agreement with federal prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Salt Lake City announced Tuesday.
All face up to 10 years in prison when sentenced in March and April.
Plexico, who was convicted of possessing stolen guns in 2009 and sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, was on supervised release when he police arrested him on his latest gun charge.