Cahokia man guilty in heist that netted 16 guns from Swansea Rural King

A federal jury on Wednesday found a Cahokia man guilty of stealing firearms from a Swansea Rural King store.

Rodney A. Mathes, 49, was convicted on charges of stealing as well possession of firearms by a felon.

According to Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois James L. Porter, evidence showed Mathes and his brother-in-law, Michael Khoury, broke into Rural King in Swansea on Jan. 19, 2015. Porter said the two men stole 16 firearms before fleeing the scene. Video footage showed two men breaking into the store just before 11 p.m.

Mathes, a previously convicted felon, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison based on his criminal history, according to Porter. Sentencing is set for Sept. 8.

Khoury pleaded guilty last year to a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the same case.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Swansea Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura V. Reppert and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.

News-Democrat

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Cahokia man guilty in heist that netted 16 guns from Swansea Rural King."