A jury has been selected in the Joseph Jakubowski trial.
Arrested on April 14, 2017, the 33-year-old stands accused of stealing over one dozen firearms from the Janesville, Wisconsin gun store appropriately known as the Janesville Gun Shop. In sum, Jakubowski is alleged to have stolen 18 guns, two silencers and plenty of ammunition from the store.
Prior to being apprehended for that alleged theft and burglary, Jakubowski led authorities on a 10-day manhunt which attracted no small amount of national attention. Billboards with the alleged thief’s face sprouted up describing Jakubowski as “Armed & Dangerous.”
Later reporting on the outlaw’s week-and-a-half-long sojourn accused Jakubowski of writing and sending a 161-page anti-government manifesto to the White House, directly addressed to President Donald Trump. According to investigators, Jakubowski leveled multiple grievances against the United States and also said he planned on attacking police and schools with the weapons he stole.
Jakubowski was arrested on April 14, 2017 after police responded to reports of a suspicious man on a farmer’s property some 125 miles north-northwest of Janesville. According to police, Jakubowski was identified and taken into custody sans incident.
Vernon County Sheriff John Spears said, “With the threats that he had been making and his 161 page manifesto, making threats towards law enforcement, schools, we were very concerned.”
Jakubowski was previously convicted of federal firearms theft and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He presently faces three state felony charges related to the burglary and could be sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison if found guilty.
This week’s trial takes place at the Rock County Courthouse in Janesville. It is expected to last through Wednesday afternoon. Law&Crime will stream the trial.
[image via screengrab/TMJ4]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
