A man accused of making statements about assassinating then-presidential candidate Barack Obama during the Democratic National Convention in Denver last year pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of possessing a rifle by a prohibited person in federal court.
Shawn Adolf, 35, was never charged with threatening Obama because former Colorado U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the threat was not viable and described the statements as the racist rantings of “methheads.”
Adolf, who has a prior felony second-degree burglary on his record, initially faced three counts in federal court: possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of body armor by a violent felon and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
As part of a plea agreement, Adolf pleaded guilty only to the first firearms count and may spend up to 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Blackburn set a sentencing date of Feb. 5.
Adolf and his cousin, Tharin Gartrell, were arrested and questioned by federal agents along with associate Nathan Dwaine Johnson after an Aurora police Officer stopped Gartrell in a pickup truck on Aug. 24, 2008, and found drugs and weapons, including a rifle with a high-power scope.
The traffic stop led federal agents to Johnson and then Adolf, who jumped out of a Denver hotel room window when they arrived.
“Adolf said that he wanted to kill Obama on the day of his inauguration and additionally stated . . . he would specifically use a 22-250 sniper rifle and high-powered scope, and find high ground to set up and shoot Obama,” according to court records.
The documents say that Johnson said Gartrell came to Denver with Adolf specifically to kill Obama. But the three were so addled by drugs that they believed Obama was staying in a south Denver hotel. Obama had not yet arrived in Denver for the convention.
Gartrell was sentenced earlier this year to 15 days in prison and six months in a halfway house for possession of methamphetamine.
Johnson was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March for possession of a firearm by a previous offender.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
This article has been corrected in this online archive. Originally, due to a reporting error, this story stated that Shawn Adolf pleaded guilty to a firearms charge related to a
potential threat against then-candidate Barack Obama. That indictment
was dismissed, and Adolf pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing
a rifle by a prohibited person while hunting last year with one of his
co-defendants.
