Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today, that Elvin Wood,
a resident of Kobuk, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 46 months imprisonment for
his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Wood pled guilty pursuant to plea agreement
on November 29, 2011.
Senior United States District Court Judge H. Russel Holland imposed the sentence on WOOD, 39.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, who prosecuted the case, in
March 2011, Wood traveled by snowmachine to Shungnak from Kobuk to check on some family property.
Wood was carrying a .44 caliber revolver when he went to Shungnak. Alaska State Troopers received
reports that Wood was extremely intoxicated in Shungnak and had made threats to a Village Public Safety
Officer, Wood was later questioned by Alaska State Troopers and admitted that he had been in Shungnak
and in possession of a firearm. Wood has two prior convictions for crimes punishable by more than one
year in prison.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Holland stated that someone with Wood’s criminal history
should not be in possession of any firearms and his problems with alcohol abuse made this a very serious
offense. Judge Holland stressed that he was concerned about protection of the public from future crimes
of Wood. He also noted that there was likely no legal sentence that could deter future crimes by Wood
unless he got his alcohol abuse problem under control.
Wood was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska’s Rural
Prosecution Initiative, a part of the Department of Justice’s commitment to improved public safety for
rural Alaska and Alaskan tribal communities.
Ms. Loeffler commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the
Alaska State Troopers for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wood.

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