CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – A man caught in possession of an illegal handgun in Monroe Township was sentenced to up to ten years in state prison on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, September 9, President Judge Sara J. Seidle-Patton sentenced Robert Isaac Coffman, 42, of Palmyra, Missouri, to a minimum of 48 months up to a maximum of 120 months confinement in state prison on one second-degree felony count of possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer number.
Coffman pleaded guilty to the above charge on August 5.
As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:
– Possession Of Firearm Prohibited, Felony 2
– Firearms Not To Be Carried Without License, Felony 3
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
– Possession of Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor
– DUI: Controlled Substance — Impaired Ability — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– Failure To Carry License, Summary
– Failure to Notify Change in Address, Summary
– Driving While BAC .02 or Greater While License Suspended, Summary (two counts)
– Failure to use safety belt — driver and front seat occupant, Summary
Coffman remains lodged in the Clarion County Jail awaiting transfer to a state prison facility.
The charges stem from a traffic stop in Monroe Township on March 7.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, Clarion-based State Police received a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Red Apple gas station in Monroe Township, Clarion County, on Saturday, March 7.
Troopers responded to the area, and initiated a traffic stop around 8:45 p.m. on Holiday Inn Road.
When police approached the vehicle, they observed drug paraphernalia on the front passenger seat and in the center console of the vehicle. They also observed a pistol on the floor of the vehicle.
Through a probable cause search of the vehicle, a loaded pistol with an obliterated serial number, four glass methamphetamine pipes, a spoon, a bong, and a silver tin containing a ziplock bag of a white substance were all found, the complaint indicates.
The driver of the vehicle, Robert Isaac Coffman, did not have a concealed carry permit for the pistol and could not produce a driver’s license, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, standardized field sobriety testing also confirmed Coffman was exhibiting signs of impairment. Coffman reportedly admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the day and was then taken Clarion Hospital for a blood draw.
The white powder substance was NIK tested, and showed a positive result for the presence of crystal methamphetamine, the complaint notes.
Based on Coffman’s prior criminal history, including a burglary charge, he is a felon not permitted to possess a firearm, according to the complaint.
Coffman was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 8.
