Feds charge Joplin man with being felon in possession of firearm

Nicholas Owen Cutbirth, 22, Joplin, was charged today with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The charges stemmed from the Newton County Sheriff's Department's January 7 arrest of Cutbirth following a suspected burglary.

The Turner Report: Probable cause: Suspect charged with Joplin, Carl Junction burglaries caught with guns, cocaine

From the federal probable cause affidavit:

On January 7, 2025, a deputy with Newton County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) was dispatched to 7547 Dover Lane, in Newton County, within the Western District of Missouri, in reference to stolen property. 

The victim stated Nicholas CUTBIRTH had stolen firearms and other items from the residence. Witness 1 (W1) stated she drove CUTBIRTH to the residence. According to W1, CUTBIRTH exited the vehicle and began walking through the woods. W1 stated CUTBIRTH had a rifle and a pistol in his possession.

Additional deputies responded and conducted a search for CUTBIRTH. CUTBIRTH was located in an abandoned house on the victim’s property. CUTBIRTH was taken into custody. 

Upon his arrest, law enforcement located a Taurus, model PT1911 pistol, bearing serial number NLN15854, in CUTBIRTH’s waistband. Lying on the floor where CUTBIRTH had been standing, deputies located a Norinco, model SKS rifle, bearing serial number 16688. 

It was determined through a criminal history check that CUTBIRTH is a convicted felon as he was previously convicted in the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri, for theft from a licensed firearms dealer, a crime punishable by more than one year in prison under the laws of the United States.