SPOKANE FELON SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING AND FIREARM POSSESSION

SPOKANE, WA – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jason Leslie Juliano, age 46, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced after having pleaded guilty to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and for possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr. sentenced Juliano to an aggregate 240-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court supervision following release from Federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, Spokane Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop after observing Juliano driving illegally. During a pat down, officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson, model M&P 40, .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol in Juliano’s waistband behind his back. Officers determined Juliano was a previously convicted felon and arrested him. After obtaining a warrant to search Juliano’s vehicle, officers found two ballistic vests, two loaded firearm magazines containing 24 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition, and a locked safe in the trunk. A search of the safe revealed 145 grams of actual methamphetamine.

Joseph H. Harrington said, “The sentences imposed send a strong message to individuals who commit drug and firearm-related crimes in the Eastern District of Washington. I commend the law enforcement officers with ATF, DEA and the Spokane Police Department for their excellent investigative work in 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 was investigated by the Spokane Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Earl A. Hicks, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.