You may remember news that Boston Police Department had swiftly moved to protect those at the 2015 Pokémon World Championship, after the event was met with gun massacre threats on social media.
Now, 28-year old James Stumbo and 19-year old Kevin Norton have each received two-year sentences, after pleading guilty to charges that they brought an AR-15 rifle, shotgun, and ammunition to the Hynes Convention Center.
Boston Globe reports that while both were initially charged with possession, as part of their plea bargain Stumbo pleaded guilty to possession of the rifle, Norton to possession of the shotgun, and both pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition.
The two men will serve their sentences in the house of correction and received two years of probation as well. This is in addition to the 335 days that they have served since they were arrested.
Norton’s attorney Robert Le Roy said after the sentencing was made, that the incident was an “error in judgement” thanks in part to the defendants’ failure to research Massachusetts gun laws which are more restrictive than those in Iowa. “They basically always drive around with loaded guns in the trunk in Iowa,” Le Roy explained.
Suffolk superior court judge Rosalind Miller accepted that both Stumbo and Norton have “firm roots” in Iowa, and may petition to serve their probation periods there.
