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Man faces weapons charge

By Caroline Trowbridge - | Jun 27, 2001

A 37-year-old Leavenworth man has been charged in connection with his alleged attempt to take a gun into the county justice center.

Mark A. English is charged in Leavenworth County District Court with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a firearm. Prosecutors filed a charge of possession of cocaine with intent to sell, stemming from a 2000 case.

According to sheriff’s officers, English tried to take a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun into the justice center on June 13.

“He was coming in to pay a traffic ticket,” said Major Dave Zoellner, undersheriff.

Sgt. John Kirby said that about 8:30 a.m., English walked through and set off a metal detector inside the entrance to the justice center.

“We have them go through it more than once,” Kirby said. “If they keep setting it off, we have a hand wand that we go over them with.”

A weapon was discovered in a back pants pocket, Kirby said, adding this was the first time anyone had tried to enter the center with a gun since its opening in spring 2000.

A Leavenworth County district judge has ordered that English undergo evaluation at Larned State Hospital. A court hearing is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 6.