Utah Felon Convicted of Murder Returns to Prison for Stolen Guns

ST. GEORGE, UT – A Southern Utah man, out on parole following a 1990 state murder conviction, was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, after he unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. 

According to court documents, Joseph Charles Gardner, 65, of St. George, Utah, is restricted from possessing a firearm because of his murder conviction and illegally possessed a SCCY CPX 9mm handgun, ammunition, and other firearms. The 9mm handgun crossed state lines and therefore affected interstate commerce. As stated in court documents, Gardner spent nearly 30 years in prison for a state murder conviction where he shot and killed a woman, removed her clothing, and left her lifeless body in the desert. In 2020, he was granted parole and returned to St. George. In the fall of 2022, Gardner conspired with a coworker to conceal and dispose of stolen firearms. During an investigation, officers found one of the stolen firearms, a 9mm handgun, in Gardner’s possession. This is the same type of gun that killed his female victim in 1990. Officers also discovered thousands of bullets in three different calibers. During the investigation, law enforcement also learned that Gardner previously possessed other firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle.  

U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement. 

The St. George Police Department investigated the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.