30 weapons found in ex-official’s home

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho – Police say they found more than 30 stolen weapons after raiding the home of a former prosecutor who was just sent to prison for grand theft.

Kimball Mason, 51, pleaded guilty in April to two counts of grand theft and one count of falsifying a public document for stealing items from the Idaho Falls police department’s evidence vault.

On Tuesday, 6th District Judge William Woodland sentenced Mason to one to five years in prison, but the judge retained jurisdiction, meaning he could be released after just six months, at the judge’s discretion.

But on Friday, police acting on a tip raided Kimball’s home and found more than 30 firearms, police Chief J. Kent Livsey said. At least some of the weapons appeared to be among 33 that Mason told investigators he had destroyed, police said.

“One gun still had evidence tape on it,” Livsey told the Post Register.

Deputy Attorney General Jay Rosenthal said the discovery of the weapons could lead to additional charges being filed against Kimball, though he said no decision has been made so far.

“This is obviously unexpected,” said Rosenthal.

The case began after the Idaho attorney general’s office conducted an investigation. Investigators claimed Mason had removed at least 51 guns from the police department’s evidence room, with the thefts dating back to at least 2001. Though investigators were initially able to trace 18 guns to Mason, he was only charged with three felonies after striking a plea deal with the state.

Of the three felonies, Mason admitted taking a Ruger .357 revolver and trading it to a local gun shop for a .32 Derringer pistol, without permission. The Ruger had been seized in 2004 by police in connection with the arrest of a man on assault, kidnapping and rape charges. He also admitted taking a Lorcin 9 mm revolver without permission – prosecutors said he gave that gun to a local defense attorney, who has since returned it to the city – and falsifying a judge’s court order.

In addition to the prison time, Mason was also ordered to repay $8,400 to the city of Idaho Falls for the stolen weapons, as well as another $1,800 in court costs. He also gave up his license to practice law.