BOISE – Christina Massie, 35, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

In court today, Massie admitted that on May 7, 2012, she was in possession of two sawed-off shotguns and that she assisted in the sale of the shotguns to an individual who was working with law enforcement officers. Massie is prohibited from possessing the shotguns because she was previously convicted of the felony crime of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver. The case is part of a larger, ongoing investigation involving the Aryan Knights gang.

The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

Sentencing is set for February 25, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, at the federal courthouse in Boise.

This indictment and twelve others charging twenty-one defendants is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service; the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, a task force comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; the Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and District 3 Probation and Parole.

The investigation began when the task force focused on illegal drug distribution by the “Aryan Knights,” a gang active both in prison and on the streets throughout Idaho. Through the investigation, law enforcement agents identified Aryan Knights gang members who were trafficking methamphetamine, as well as associates of the gang who were the source of that methamphetamine.

The case is being 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 treasurevalleypartners.org.