WORTHINGTON — A Round Lake resident will serve probation after being convicted of the felony of possession of a firearm after a conviction of a crime of violence.
Obediah Stafford, 58, was arrested in November 2020 when a DNR officer found him hunting on the officer's land. Looking into Stafford's history, it was learned that he was convicted of second-degree murder in 1983, making him ineligible to own or operate a firearm.
He pleaded guilty to the crime in April and received his sentence at a Tuesday hearing. Fifth Judicial District Judge Sherry Haley sentenced Stafford to 60 months in prison with a stay of execution in favor of five years of supervised probation and a 120-day local jail term staggered over the next four years. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
