Police raid Mason's home

Officials say several missing guns were retrieved from the house

By PHIL DAVIDSON

pdavidson@postregister.com

Idaho Falls Police Capt. Roger Smart leads the way out of Kimball Mason's home Friday after a search of the house found evidence boxes with firearms in them. - Randy Hayes / Post Register

Idaho Falls police officers raided Kimball Mason's house Friday and recovered several guns that had been missing from the police department's evidence vault, police officials said.

Acting on a tip, the officers showed up at the former city prosecutor's home at 3040 Hartert Drive at about 3:15 p.m. and began seizing more than 30 firearms and rifles, Idaho Falls Police Chief J. Kent Livsey said.

"One gun still had evidence tape on it," Livsey said.

Mason, 51, pleaded guilty in April to two counts of grand theft and one count of falsifying a public document, all felonies and all related to items he took from the police department's evidence vault.

He was sentenced Tuesday to three concurrent one-to-five-year prison terms, but retired 6th District Judge William Woodland retained jurisdiction, meaning he will evaluate Mason's case after six months. Woodland could then order him to serve the rest of the sentence or place him on probation.

The charges stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Idaho attorney general's office in which investigators determined Mason had removed 51 guns from the police department's evidence room.

They were able to trace 18 guns to Mason, but he was only charged with three felonies after striking a plea deal with the state.

Mason told investigators he'd destroyed the 33 guns that had been unaccounted for, but officers on Friday found several of those weapons.

That could mean more bad news for Mason.

Deputy Attorney General Jay Rosenthal said the discovery of the weapons could lead to additional charges being filed. But, he said, no decision has been made.

"This is obviously unexpected," said Rosenthal, who was at Mason's house during the search.

It's unknown which judge signed the search warrant, which Rosenthal said was sealed.

Livsey said the department received a tip that people associated with Mason were removing guns from his home, but said he couldn't elaborate further due to the pending investigation.

Mason was en route to Boise on Friday morning to undergo two weeks of diagnosis in the state prison system before being placed in correctional facility.

Cops and Courts reporter Phil Davidson can be reached at 542-6750.