Man pleads guilty to selling gun used to kill officer

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Man pleads guilty to selling gun used to kill officer

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Sep 19, 2007 at 10:19 AM EST

Story Updated: Mar 12, 2008 at 11:42 AM EST

(AP) A gun dealer accused of illegally selling a gun used by the man who fatally shot a South Bend police officer has changed his plea to guilty.

Ronald J. Wedge, 71, of Bristol, acknowledged in federal court Tuesday that he falsified information when he sold a .22 caliber handgun to Scott Barnaby at an April 21 gun show. Wedge said he sold the gun to Barnaby before completing the background check, then falsified the date on the documents after the check was completed.

He received clearance to sell the gun to Barnaby on April 24 — the same day that Cpl. Nick Polizzotto, 34, was killed while responding to a call of a man firing shots at an unoccupied nightclub and a billboard. Police found the 45-year-old Barnaby at a nearby motel. After shooting Polizzotto, Barnaby was killed in a shootout with police.

Police said Barnaby had two guns with him. Barnaby's family said he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia years ago and had been on and off medication.

Federal prosecutors dropped one of three counts against Wedge in return for his guilty plea to the other two counts. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $500,000 when he is sentenced Dec. 5.

Jason Katz, 31, of South Bend, another gun dealer who sold a second gun to Barnaby, pleaded guilty to similar charges in June and was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 1.

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