Lenore man accused of shooting FBI agent makes court appearance on gun charge

shooting

A Lenore-area man accused of shooting an FBI agent last week made his first appearance on a gun charge in U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene.

42-year-old Manuel Villalobos was in court Friday for a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. Villalobos was taken into custody early Thursday at a residence south of the Nez Perce Tribal Fish Hatchery near Cherrylane.

Authorities say one SWAT member from the Salt Lake Division of the FBI that responded to the scene was shot and sustained non-life threatening injuries.

Court records say federal agents had been investigating Villalobos since April after he threatened to harm his stepmother and showed increasingly erratic behavior. A 1995 felony burglary conviction from Latah County prohibits Villalobos from legally owning a firearm.

A preliminary hearing on the gun charge is scheduled for Thursday, though Villalobos hasn’t yet been charged in the shooting.

Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and a 1 million dollar fine. (Lewiston Tribune)

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