Mexico pawn shop owner sentenced to prison for assaults, weapons

Attorney General Chris Koster Wednesday announced a judge has sentenced a Mexico pawn shop owner to 15 years in prison for assault and weapons charges.

41-year-old Richard Whipple owns Uncle Richard’s Pawn Shop in Mexico, and was sentenced to 15 years for one count of unlawful use of a weapon, and 4 years for unlawful use of a weapon and 1st degree tampering.

The judge also sentenced him to one year in the Montgomery County Jail for 3 misdemeanor counts of assault.

All of those sentenced will be served concurrently.

Whipple was found guilty in March of pointing a gun at a man who was sitting in a van that was parked at the pawn shop after he got angry with the man.

Whipple shot into the van as he was backing out of the parking lot. The man’s girlfriend and daughter were in the van at the time.

No one was injured.

The case was heard in Montgomery County on a change of venue from Audrain Co.