Man who brought gun to Obama event sentenced

July 20, 2010 5:05 PM

PORTSMOUTH — A contractor who snuck past security at a town hall forum for President Barack Obama, after leaving a loaded gun in his pickup truck, pleaded guilty to a pair of related charges and was sentenced Tuesday.

Richard Terry Young, 63, of 821 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, appeared in Portsmouth District Court where he pleaded guilty to having a concealed gun without a license and criminal trespassing.

Police allege that hours before Obama was due to arrive at the city high school for an August 12, 2009 forum, Young was found inside the school, beyond a security perimeter and without a ticket. When asked by federal agents if he had any weapons, Young told them he had a gun in his truck that was parked in the school lot.

There, federal agents found Young's loaded .380 Kel Tec semiautomatic pistol, with a round in the chamber and concealed in a bag.

Represented by attorney Monica Kieser, Young apologized before being sentenced by Judge Stephen Morrison. For carrying the concealed gun without a licence, he was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $1,000, with all the jail time and all of the fine suspended for two years, pending his good behavior.

For the trespassing conviction, Young was court-ordered to perform 25 hours of community service and provide proof to the court within 30 days. Another $1,000 fine was imposed and also suspended pending his good behavior for two years.

In March, Young negotiated a prior plea deal which was rejected by Judge Sawako Gardner. Prosecutor Karl Durand offered to place the gun charge on file without a finding for one year, with conditions. With a guilty plea to the trespassing charge, Durand recommend that Young be given a suspended $1,000 fine, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and given a suspended 90-day jail sentence, all contingent on two years of good behavior.

“The Secret Service determined (Young) was not a threat at that time, or in the future to the President,” Durand said four months ago. “He voluntarily made sure they knew the gun was there and we don't think he had any intention of bringing it into the high school. He has had a long interest in weapons.”

Kieser told the court the Secret Service conducted “a full threat assessment” before deciding not to pursue separate federal charges against her client. She also reminded the court that a man who was wearing a loaded gun at the same presidential event “was not prosecuted.”

She was referring to William Kostrick, who stood on the lawn of a nearby church wearing his 9 mm Smith & Wesson pistol holstered openly to his right thigh. Kostrick told the Herald it was a demonstration in honor of the state's open carry law.

“I frankly found that conduct more dangerous,” Kieser told the court.

“Be that as it may,” said the judge, “I'm not taking that portion of the recommended sentence.”

Young, a masonry contractor, is the owner of Plain & Fancy Brick Work in Hampton.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100720-NEWS-100729970