SPOKANE, Wash.-The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announce that it prosecuted 85 firearm offenders and seized 163 illegal guns in 2023, including several in Eastern Washington.
Seized firearms are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of stolen guns to their rightful owners, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“These prosecutions are a stark reminder of the nexus of firearms and violent crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Our collaborative law enforcement partnerships at the federal, state, local and tribal level have a significant impact in removing illegal firearms off our streets, reducing violent crime and making our communities safer.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the gun-related cases of 2023 included:
A 21-year-old Moxee gang member sentenced to 12 years for possessing firearms during a drug trafficking crime.A 30-year-old Yakama man sentenced to 10 years for showing a firearm during a violent crime.A Richland man sentenced to 12 years for shooting someone and conspiring to sell fentanyl.An Othello woman sentenced to 46 months for a firearms offense.A Yakima man sentenced to 48 months for a firearms offense.A 31-year-old Yakima man sentenced to 7 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.An Othello man sentenced to 168 months in prison for a firearm offense related to a homicide.A domestic abuser sentenced to 51 months for a firearm offense.
