This criminal cannon even pull off a worthwhile theft.
A low-level drug seller stole an 800-pound cannon that was used within the Spanish American Struggle from a Kansas park final week to settle a debt along with his deranged boss, who was threatening to homicide him and his household, authorities stated.
Gordon Pierce, 38, was arrested Thursday after the 1794 cannon went lacking from its podium in a Wichita park and was later found chopped into items.
Pierce advised investigators that he was a meth person of 20 years and owed his seller $20,000 after the pound of meth he was speculated to promote was reportedly stolen. He stated his seller threatened to “shoot him and his family” if he didn’t give you the money, in response to an affidavit acquired by KSNW.
To repay the debt, the distressed drug person deliberate to promote copper from statues manufactured from the fabric he may steal, he reportedly advised cops.
Pierce allegedly hatched the crackpot plan to steal the cannon after driving round in desperation in search of copper statues when he got here throughout Riverside Park, the place the large artifact had been a fixture since 1900, in response to KAKE.
He advised investigators that the rationale he focused the cannon was as a result of it was in a darkish place, in response to the affidavit.
Pierce then recruited a homeless man to assist him along with his plan by bribing him with medication and a pipe. The 2 males acquired excessive on meth earlier than attempting to make use of their very own muscle groups to raise the 800-pound cannon, the doc alleges.
First, the pair tried to raise the cannon into the mattress of Pierce’s Chevrolet Tahoe, nevertheless it was too heavy. Subsequent, they hooked as much as a sequence connected to the truck’s hitch so the legal mastermind may tow it off.
Besides when he started dragging by way of the streets, the chain snapped in entrance of an automotive store, in response to the affidavit.
He deserted the cannon there and fled to a pal’s home and bought a brand new chain. Pierce used the brand new chain to tug it to his pal’s home the place he hid it in his storage, in response to the affidavit.
Contained in the storage, Pierce allegedly chopped the cannon into 5 hunks and took a few of the components to the drug seller within the hopes it might settle his debt and save his and his household’s lives.
However the drug seller was irate, in response to the information, and referred to as Pierce “stupid,” and advised him he was going to “bring heat to his house,” earlier than yelling at him to “get out.”
Since he didn’t have an ID that’s required to promote scrap steel, Pierce had no actual plan for pawning the 800-pound historic artifact, in response to information.
The following time he noticed him, the livid drug seller allegedly advised Pierce he was going to shoot him within the head, in response to the court docket information.
Terrified, Pierce went to his mom, confessed and fell asleep. When he awoke, cops had been there to arrest him.
“This swift investigation shows our dedication to holding individuals responsible when they victimize our community,” police stated in a press release.
Officers from Wichita’s Parks and Recreation estimated that the cannon is value greater than $100,000, and that Pierce prompted $10,000 value of injury to the granite pedestal throughout his harebrained caper.
Pierce is being held on a $200,000 bond.
