A Center Township man who sold a handful of stolen weapons to gun shops will spend years in state prison.

Matthew E. Josephs, 28, today was sentenced by Butler County Judge William Shaffer to serve 35 to 70 months in state prison.

Josephs, who already had previous criminal convictions, in December pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and a firearms violation.

According to court records, the charges were filed in July after Josephs sold three stolen rifles and two stolen shotguns to two gun shops in Butler County.

Both gun dealers reported to police Josephs claimed the weapons belonged to him.

However, those weapons and a .25-caliber pistol had actually been taken from a house on Palmer Road.

Investigators reportedly traced the gun sales back to Josephs because he provided both gun shops identification belonging to his then live-in girlfriend.

Josephs was arrested when he, his girlfriend and another man were caught reportedly stealing scrap metal auto parts from a Clearfield Township salvage yard.

According to court records, the defendant's sentence takes into consideration the firearms' case as well as a guilty plea to theft and making false reports in the salvage yard incident.