A judge sentenced a man, who is a convicted felon, to six years in prison after he was found with nearly 400 guns, body armor and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition in his home.
Jerome N. Ruckdeschel, 67, of Richmond, was indicted by a McHenry County grand jury on nearly a dozen felonies in November 2024.
He was charged with four counts of possession of firearms while in possession of body armor by a felon, one count of possession of firearm ammunition while possessing body armor by a felon, one count of possession of a machine gun by a felon, three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and one count of unlawful use of a weapon for possessing a silencer.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said that they received information on October 15, 2024, regarding Ruckdeschel unlawfully possessing firearms at his residence in the 9900 block of Clark Road in unincorporated Richmond.
Members of the sheriff’s office responded to the residence and began an investigation.
A search warrant was secured for the residence and executed by the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Division.
191 completed firearms, 198 partial firearms, suppressors, a ballistic vest and helmet, and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition were seized.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Ruckdeschel was found in possession of numerous handguns, long guns and shotguns.
Court documents said Ruckdeschel “built up an arsenal of weapons.”
Dozens of guns with loaded magazines inserted were found hidden all over his house, court documents said.
Ruckdeschel is a convicted felon and not allowed to possess firearms, the complaint said.
McHenry County Judge Carl Metz granted a petition filed by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office to detain Ruckdeschel pending trial.
Metz said Ruckdeschel posed a threat to the community and no conditions of release could mitigate the risk.
The judge, citing a probable cause statement, said a massive force would be needed to sweep Ruckdeschel’s property and home to ensure there were no more weapons inside.
“But even then given that the weapons and ammunition were found in hidden walls and jackets the court cannot be satisfied that all weapons and ammunition will be removed,” Metz said at the time.
Court records show Ruckdeschel entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office earlier this month.
He pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a machine gun, a Class X felony. The rest of his less serious charges were dismissed.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea and sentenced Ruckdeschel to six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the agreement.
Ruckdeschel will be required to serve 50% of the sentence in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines. He will also receive 605 days of credit for time served.