JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A gun stolen from the family of a police chief has been recovered, and there's a connection to both Jacksonville and history.
The story begins in 1901 in San Antonio, Texas.
That's when, according to United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill, the police department there gave their new chief, James M. Van Riper, a nickel-plated, pearl-handled .45 Colt revolver.
The handgun is engraved with the words "From Police Dept. to James M. Van Riper, San Antonio, Dec. 25, 1901, Chief of Police."
Van Riper, a former Texas Ranger and United States Marshal, passed the gun down through the generations until it ended up with his great-grandson Kent Van Riper.
Fast forward to 1997, as Kent Van Riper and his family were passing through Jacksonville and spent the night at a local hotel.
Van Riper's car was stolen, and the gun was in the car. O'Neill said the car was recovered, but the gun was not.
A dealer in antique firearms in Houston, Texas, notified law enforcement agents in December 2010 that two people in Jacksonville were trying to sell that gun.
Undercover agents then posed as buyers and agreed to pay $7,000 for the gun, meeting on Dec. 16.
In a restaurant parking lot on the Northside, O'Neill indicated, 33-year-old Vyctor Ramone Lockett, from Jacksonville, and 35-year-old Jamie Ann Knight, from St. Augustine, were arrested.
The agents then returned the gun to its rightful owner, three and a half years later.
"I cannot describe to you how I feel," Van Riper said at the time. "My grandfather gave me this gun on his death bed. Being born in San Antonio and forever a Texan, I am very proud of my heritage. You have my sincerest heartfelt gratitude."
In April, Lockett was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possession and attempted sale of a stolen firearm. In June, Knight received the same sentence.
First Coast News