Felon (from Idaho) Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Brandon Spurway, age 28, of Post Fall, Idaho, appeared before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on December 16, 2010, and pled guilty to an indictment that charged him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The investigation arose out of a traffic stop by a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper on May 5, 2010. A subsequent search of the vehicle by the trooper revealed a .380 cal. pistol located in a safe in the backseat.

Spurway admitted to the trooper that the firearm belonged to him. Spurway had previously been convicted of felonies in the states of Washington and Idaho. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, and the case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted L. McBride. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for March 7, 2011. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing