Iowa Men Plead Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession at Pokemon World Championship

BOSTON, MA—Two Iowa men pleaded guilty Friday to bringing guns to the 2015 Pokemon World Championship in Boston.

Kevin Norton, 18, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a 12-gauge Remington shotgun, while James Stumbo, 28, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a DPMS AR-15 rifle. Both pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of about 300 rounds of ammunition, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

The men are from Ames and Boone, Iowa, respectively. They drove to Boston for the convention, but were stopped by police upon their arrival because of suspicious online posts.

Because they pleaded guilty, the case did not go to trial. However, the DA's office release said, if it had gone forward, prosecutors would have provided evidence and testimony that showed:

• Boston Police were notified of statements and images Norton and Stumbo had allegedly posted online that could have been construed as threats of gun violence.
• “Kevin Norton and I are ready for worlds Boston here we come,” Stumbo posted with a photo of the AR-15 and shotgun displayed on its trunk.
• That statement and others were made amid an online chat in which others – but not the defendants – referred to “Columbine pt 2,” “another Boston massacre,” and the “Boston bombing.”

Both were sentenced to two years in jail, plus two years' probation, banned from Boston's Hynes Convention Center, ordered to undergo mental health evaluations, and ordered not to possess weapons.

>> Photo via Boston Police Department