13 October 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man from Wichita was sentenced to five years for having a gun while trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents, 59-year-old Clinton Bruner pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In November 2022, officers executed a search warrant at Bruner’s home, where they found a kilogram of powder cocaine in the basement and an ounce of cocaine in a bedroom. Officers also found an M&P Shield .40 caliber handgun and a Berretta Nano 9mm firearm in the home.
The DOJ says after Bruner had been read his Miranda rights, he admitted to selling
drugs, and he said that the firearms were his for protection because he had recently been robbed.
“Whenever guns are in the hands of illegal drug traffickers, the threat of violence increases exponentially. This not only endangers the lives of those involved in criminal activity, but also puts entire communities at great risk of being caught in crossfire,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher.
The case was investigated by the Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency.