BOISE – Richard Arnold Male, 26, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Male to serve four years of supervised release following his prison term and to forfeit the Ruger pistol he used to commit his crime, as well as an additional sawed-off shotgun Male unlawfully possessed. He pleaded guilty to the charge on June 5, 2012.

According to the plea agreement, on June 17, 2010, a Boise Police officer observed Male conduct what appeared to be the sale of a controlled substance in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer store located in Boise. Male was contacted by police shortly thereafter, sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Officers lawfully searched the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger, .380 semi-automatic pistol under the front passenger seat.

Male admitted to law enforcement officers to having sold approximately 1.4 grams of methamphetamine to another person for $120, before police contacted him. Male also admitted that he possessed on his person the Ruger pistol found in the vehicle when he sold the methamphetamine. In court, Male admitted that he carried the handgun during the drug transaction for protection.

The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.