Published 9:32 am Friday, May 15, 2026 The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a Linn County man on probation following felony charges who sought to dispose of his hunting rifle by selling the gun at a pawnshop without physically touching it. Chet Thomas Hamilton, 49, was charged in 2023 in Linn County on felony convictions of possessing a firearm. He claimed his cousin had been storing the gun for him, and that the cousin oversaw and executed the sale for him, while he looked on but did not physically hand over the gun for sale. Hamilton did, however, respond “yep” when the pawnbroker asked if he was “good to go,” according to the ruling. Hamilton had previous convictions for coercion, identity theft and tampering with a witness. Linn County investigators charged Hamilton following the sale, and he was sentenced in Linn County Court to 15 months in prison and two years of post-prison supervision.…