Wisconsin man who stole firearms now on trial in state court

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JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) — A state trial got underway on Monday for a Wisconsin man already convicted in federal court of stealing firearms from a Janesville gun shop.

Joseph Jakubowski is on trial in Rock County on charges of burglary while arming himself, theft and possession of burglary tools. If convicted on the charges, he could serve up to 24½ years in prison.

A jury was seated Monday for the trial for Jakubowski, who also sent a rambling anti-government manifesto to President Donald Trump.

After Jakubowski refused to raise his hand to take the oath, Judge James Daley told him he would not be allowed to testify, the Janesville Gazette reported. Jakubowski discussed the situation with his defense attorney, Michael Murphy, who then announced that his client would not take the witness stand.

The exchange occurred at the end of the day. The trial is to resume Tuesday morning with closing arguments, the newspaper reported.

Jakubowski admitted in his federal trial last fall that he took 18 firearms from the gun shop, Armageddon Supplies.

He broke into the store on April 4. He mailed the 160-page manifesto to Trump, drove to a rural road and set his SUV on fire and disappeared.

He was captured 10 days later 130 miles away in western Wisconsin where he told the landowner he just wanted to live “off the grid.”

Jakubowski was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison in December after a profanity-laced back and forth with the judge where he asked to either be set free or killed.