A St. Louis County man admitted on March 11 to lying about the circumstances surrounding a toddler’s accidental shooting last year.
Rodrick Miller, 36, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of his plea agreement, Miller acknowledged that on March 6, 2025, he and his girlfriend—who is the mother of the injured child—cleaned an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 semiautomatic pistol and left it unattended on a couch at her Wellston home.
According to court documents, Miller said he did not know how the toddler was shot but admitted that after discovering the injury, he and his girlfriend took the boy to the hospital for severe injuries to his calf. On their way, Miller stopped in a wooded area and hid the firearm behind a tree before continuing to seek medical help for the child. Both adults then told North County Police Cooperative officers that the boy had been struck by a stray bullet during an alleged gunfight between two vehicles while his mother was walking home. Miller also claimed he left work specifically to take them to the hospital. Police later recovered the hidden weapon.
Miller is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. He faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced in June.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the North County Police Cooperative, St. Ann Police Department, and St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franks is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts involving several Department of Justice programs.
