COEUR D’ALENE – Joshua Christopher Gervasi, 19, of Sandpoint, Idaho, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Gervasi to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Gervasi pleaded guilty to the charge on December 4, 2012.

According to court statements, in August 2012, Gervasi was stopped by a Bonner County Deputy Sheriff for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, Gervasi told the deputy that he had a handgun in his vehicle. The Bonner County deputy located the firearm next to Gervasi, under a shirt. The handgun was a 9 millimeter with 15 rounds in the magazine. Gervasi was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine. He has been in custody since his arrest.

The case was investigated by the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force (NIVCTF). The NIVCTF members include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Idaho State Police, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Shoshone County Sheriff's Office, Bonner County Sheriff's Office, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, Post Falls Police Department, and the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police Department. The NIVCTF investigates a myriad of violent crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping, felonious assault and drug trafficking.

The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.