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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... COURTS Shady Cove man pleads guilty in federal guns and drugs case Shady Cove defendant allegedly plotted murder Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 15, 2015 at 4:56 PM Updated Apr 15, 2015 at 6:26 PM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 15, 2015 at 4:56 PM Updated Apr 15, 2015 at 6:26 PM » Social News A Shady Cove man charged in a bizarre weapons and drugs case pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Medford to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Under the terms of Eric Austin Wheale's plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecutors will dismiss an additional charge of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Wheale and co-defendant Gerald Hook were charged in a secret indictment in November 2014 after search warrants were served at their homes in July by Medford FBI agents, detectives from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement team and Oregon State Police. According to an FBI search warrant affidavit, Hook's son had reported the two men to the FBI after his father allegedly attempted to enlist him in a plan to murder a Medford lawyer representing a contractor who was suing Hook. Hook later told his son, who was wearing an FBI body wire, that he'd decided not to go through with the murder attempt, the affidavit says. The son told agents that his father, a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, was stockpiling weapons and had fortified the garage of his rural property near Trail, the affidavit says. Wheale, Hook's cousin, allegedly helped Hook illegally manufacture silencers for several firearms, which they tested in Wheale's garage, the affidavit says. Hook's son told police that Wheale and his father regularly smoked methamphetamine together and that Wheale was manufacturing hash oil, it says. Search warrant returns show investigators seized numerous firearms from Wheale's Shady Cove home, along with marijuana plants, mushrooms, hash oil and methamphetamine paraphernalia. Wheale has previous felony convictions in Jackson County for felon in possession of a firearm and in San Diego County, Calif., for transportation and sale of a controlled substance, records show. His sentencing is set for July. Hook is scheduled for trial May 19 on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 15, 2015 at 4:56 PM Updated Apr 15, 2015 at 6:26 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501