A Charles City man is sentenced to life in prison on gun charges. Court records show 41-year-old Randy Patrie pled guilty in September to possessing a sawed-off shotgun as a felon. The court found Patrie used the shotgun in October of 2012 to burglarize the home of Ken Gallmeyer near Nashua. He found Gallmeyer asleep in his bed and shot him to death with the shotgun.
A search of Patrie’s home found the shotgun believed to have been used in Gallmeyer’s murder, along several other guns and items stolen from Gallmeyer. Patrie was also found in possession of approximately 32 firearms, two of which had been stolen in March 2013 during a burglary of another residence near Gallmeyer’s house, and 22 of which had been stolen in May 2013 during a burglary of the Gilbert’s Sales Yard in Floyd, Iowa.
The court issued written findings on June 12 which concluded Patrie had murdered Gallmeyer. The court found that Patrie qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which carries a mandatory minimum of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Patrie was sentenced Thursday to life in federal prison with no chance for parole.