UPDATE 4:14 P.M. --
MADISON -- Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict against a man charged with stealing 20 weapons from a gun store.
Joseph Jakubowski lead police on a 10-day manhunt in April of this year. He also sent an anti-government manifesto to the White House.
Jurors were shown confession video, DNA evidence and testimony from Jakubowski himself who took the stand in his defense. He admitted he stole 20 guns from a Janesville store in the spring.
Juror Richard Virnoche says they did not find it hard to find Jakubowski guilty.
"The defendant says he's guilty from the beginning," said Federal Juror Virnoche of Madison. "...we were all confused as to why we were here then."
His 161 page manifesto written to the President and nationwide manhunt that followed was not brought up in the one-day trial. Acting U.S. Attorney Jeff Anderson says he is concerned over the weapons that are still missing. This includes an automatic rifle.
"A fully automatic weapon posed a great danger to the community and it was for that reason that a number of the facilities, the schools and churches were shut down," Anderson said.
Jakubowski's defense lawyer tells us his client plans to read a letter of apology to the gun store owner at sentencing. That will take place Dec. 20.
He faces another jury trial next month in Rock County. He is charged with three felonies related to the gun store burglary.
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UPDATE 11:03 a.m. -- A federal jury has convicted Joseph Jakubowski on a federal weapons charge.
This spring, Jakubowski lead authorities on a days-long manhunt after he sent a threatening manifesto to the White House and burglarized a gun shop in Janesville.
TODAY'S TMJ4 has a crew in Madison covering the trial, and we'll bring you new information and reaction to the verdict coming up on Live at Noon and on TMJ4.com.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
MADISON — The man accused of sending an anti-government manifesto to President Donald Trump took the stand in Federal Court Monday.
Joseph Jakubowski was at the center of a 10-day manhunt in the spring.
He faces a slew of charges in state and federal court.
The federal case is now in the hands of the jury. They will decide whether the Janesville man is guilty or not guilty of stealing guns, and doing so as a felon.
The jurors heard from ten witnesses and called it a day to come back and deliberate Tuesday.
Jakubowski took the witness stand in his defense. It lasted less than three minutes. He said, “I broke into Armageddon Supplies.”
He went on to say he stole from the Janesville gun store, "Guns, magazines, bullets." Then he "Took off Northwest.”
When he was asked by his attorney what his intentions were to take the stand? There was an objection by the prosecution.
His defense attorney changed the question to "Are you here to tell the truth?" to which Jakubowski replied, "I am."
The prosecution used photos, surveillance video and DNA evidence to try to prove their side. They also played portions of Jakubowski’s interview with the ATF.
None of the rambling anti-government manifesto Jakubowski is accused of sending to the White House was brought up in this case, only the accusations that he stole weapons.
The jury will resume deliberations Tuesday morning.
Stay with TODAY’S TMJ4 on air an online for the latest on this developing story.
