United States v. Salvatore G. Monteleone

FLOYD R. GIBSON, Circuit Judge.

Salvatore Monteleone raises numerous challenges to his conviction for disposing of a firearm to a convicted felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(1) (1994). Because the prosecutor posed wholly improper questions to a defense character witness, we reverse.

I. BACKGROUND

This ease involves the regrettable tale of Salvatore Monteleone, a thirty-four year veteran of the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department with a previously unblemished criminal record, whose association with a knavish relative ultimately led to his conviction in federal court.

On November 4, 1993,…