Man pleads guilty to firearm charge

A man who authorities say was plotting a shooting rampage at an LDS temple pleaded guilty Monday to one count of possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.

Benjamin Speakman, 27, was indicted in February for that single count, for which he had previously pled not guilty. After accepting the change of plea, U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball set sentencing for June 22.

Members of Speakman's family who were in court Monday say they hope his imposed sentence gives him the mental-health treatment they believe he needs.

"He is not a criminal (who) needs to be punished or rehabilitated by the criminal-justice system; he needs to be helped by the mental-health system," Speakman's cousin Neil Peterson said.

Speakman showed up at Valley Mental Health's Midvale facility in early February and told workers that he had a pistol and shotgun and that he was "planning to kill himself and others," police said in charging documents.

Federal authorities said Speakman told them he had planned to kill his wife and his mother-in-law and then storm the Jordan River Temple in South Jordan, shooting whoever confronted him on his way to the temple's celestial room, where he planned to kill himself.

In addition to the guns found in Speakman's car that day, agents said they also found an AK-47, ammunition and knives at his home.

But Speakman's family said he recognized that he was having some bad thoughts, and that is why he went to receive some counseling at Valley Mental Health.

"Everyone is saying it was a huge rampage that they stopped, but they didn't stop anything," Speakman's wife, Emily Speakman, told the Deseret News. "He went in for help, and now he is getting punished."

On Monday, Speakman admitted that he knowingly had the unregistered, New England 12-gauge shotgun in his possession. He also agreed to forfeit the shotgun and abandon a 9mm Glock handgun and the AK-47 rifle.

In return, prosecutors agreed to give him credit for acceptance of responsibility and to recommend a sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines. The maximum possible penalty for possession of an unregistered sawed-off shotgun is 10 years in jail, a fine of $250,000 and supervised release of up to five years.

The family said they plan to fill the courtroom as a show of support for Speakman on the day of his sentencing.

"He may have had some thoughts, but he went for help," Peterson said. "In my opinion, you could look at Ben as a hero who possibly saved people's lives by going to get help."

E-MAIL: ethomas@desnews.com