Juneau, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced Herman Joseph Brown III, 27, of Ketchikan, Alaska, has been sentenced to 54 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On July 16, 2020, Brown pleaded guilty to the federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Ketchikan Police Department received multiple reports alleging many postal parcels from different manufacturers of firearm parts being delivered to Brown. An investigation commenced in January 2020 and KPD confirmed that Brown had received out-of-state parts for an AR-15 and a Glock style handgun. Due to Brown’s previous conviction for misconduct involving a controlled substance, a search warrant was obtained and during the execution of the warrant, KPD located unregistered firearms such as a “Polymer 80” 9mm pistol, AR-15 rifle, and a Mossberg 12-gauge pump action shotgun. Additionally, a variety of ammunition was located, including 2,741 rounds of .223, 136 rounds of 9mm, 115 rounds of .45 ACP, and 117 rounds of 12-guage, and various materials to assemble pipe bombs and other explosive devices.
In imposing the sentence, Chief Judge Timothy M. Burgess emphasized the seriousness of the offense and the need for deterrence in justifying the sentence.
Ketchikan Police Department and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive (ATFE) conducted the investigation leading to the sentence in this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/about-project-guardian
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office-District of Alaska
