U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler announced Friday that two Fairbanks men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage for possessing a grenade launcher and grenade, amounting to two additional federal weapons charges.
Coleman Barney, 36, and Francis Schaeffer Cox, 27, were charged in a superseding indictment that each carried a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.
The original indictment, returned this March, charged Barney, Cox and Lonnie Vernon with conspiracy to obtain destructive devices, including grenades, and firearms silencers. In that indictment Cox was also charged with possessing an unlawful Sten machine gun and an illegal firearm silencer. Cox and Barney were indicted for possessing hand grenades. The additional counts against Barney and Cox allege new weapons crimes by carrying firearms in connection with the purchase of hand grenades and silencers, and for possessing a 37mm grenade launcher loaded with a crowd control-type grenade known as a "Hornets Nest."
Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Skrocki and Joseph Bottini, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the weapons charges each carry a maximum penalty of between five and ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The charges against Barney and Cox for carrying a firearm during a crime of violence carries an additional term of five years in prison upon conviction of the charges for conspiring to possess hand grenades and silencers. All three defendants remain in custody pending trial.