Robert Joos was convicted Tuesday in federal court on charges of illegally possessing firearms and explosives on his 200-acre property near Powell.
After nine minutes of deliberation Tuesday, the jury found Joos, 56, guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and one count of being a felon in possession of explosives, according to Beth Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. The federal trial began Monday.
Joos was arrested in late June as part of an investigation into a 2004 mail bombing in Scottsdale, Ariz., that injured a black city official. When law enforcement officers served a search warrant of Joos’ property, they found five shotguns, five rifles, five pistols, more than 19,000 rounds of ammunition and blasting caps.
Federal prosecutors say an investigation found that people involved in the white supremacist movement in the U.S. met for survival training at Joos’ property in McDonald County. Joos is pastor of the Sacerdotal Church of David.
Two twin brothers, Dennis and Daniel Mahon, were arrested at their home in Davis Junction, Ill., in late June in connection with the bombing. A probable cause affidavit filed to support the arrest alleges the first call Dennis Mahon made after the bombing was to a cell phone registered to Joos.
One of the Mahons has described Joos as “an expert on weapons, explosives, bomb making and general survival skills,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
A confidential informant and two undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives visited Joos at his Powell property on three occasions in January 2008 and in January and February 2009. During those visits, they observed several firearms and ammunition.
In telephone conversations, Joos often discussed stocking the caves on his property with weapons, food, water and other supplies in order to avoid capture or attack. In one conversation, an undercover agent told Joos he was having some trouble with “Kenites,” and Joos agreed to provide him with instructions for making a bomb. Joos later mailed him instructions for making a home-made bomb, along with a detailed drawing, the federal attorney said.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Joos has a 1997 felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon and a 2004 felony conviction for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Joos contends he was wrongfully convicted. During a 2002 hearing, he told the court he had no intention of obtaining a Missouri driver’s license, saying he is a “servant of God and can have no covenant with the heathen government.” After a court appearance that year, he told a Daily News reporter that he believes he does not have to have a driver’s license as he does not transport goods or people for hire.
Joos was hospitalized in November 2004 as a result of a hunger strike.
Joos could face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine of up to $500,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
