Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the
Eastern District of Washington, announced that Joseph W. Aarnes, age 38, of
Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on July
16, 2019, to possession of a stolen firearm. United States District Judge
Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced Aarnes to a 92-month term of imprisonment, to
be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from
federal prison.
According to information disclosed during court proceedings,
on June 6, 2018, Aarnes was arrested by the Washington State Department of
Corrections (DOC). Two days later, a third party notified DOC that there was a
firearm “silencer,” also known as a suppressor, among Aarnes’ personal
belongings at a residence. After obtaining consent to search the residence,
officers seized a Gemtech, model Outback 2d, silencer. Investigators determined
the silencer had been reported stolen. Under federal law, a “silencer” is
considered a firearm.
William D. Hyslop said, “Possession of a stolen ‘silencer’
presents unnecessary risks to the community. The United States Attorney’s
Office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to prosecute
aggressively those individuals who illegally possess firearms and ammunition. I
commend the outstanding work of the FBI, ATF, Washington State Department of
Corrections, and the Spokane Police Department in investigating this case.”
This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe
Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement
collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible
for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is
partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to
specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the
Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department
of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal
firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project
Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun
violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal
authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves
information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by
the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking
appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for
mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the
criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States
Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from the following
Project Guardian partners: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Regional
Safe Streets Task Force, the Spokane Regional Field Office of the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Washington State Department of
Corrections, and the Spokane Police Department. For more information about
Project Guardian, please see:
https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download.
This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
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