Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced yesterday, Friday, January 20, 2012, that John Robert Weber, a/k/a “JRob,” a/k/a “The Dragon Master”, a resident of Bethel, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 48 months imprisonment for his conviction of being a felon in possession of firearms. Weber was convicted by a federal jury on August 9, 2011 .

Senior United States District Court Judge H. Russel Holland imposed the sentence on Weber, age 43.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that in Bethel, in August 2010, Alaska State Troopers contacted Weber outside of his residence and tattoo parlor in Bethel. Alaska State Troopers were following up on a report that Weber had recently arrived from Anchorage and was potentially carrying a large quantity of marijuana. Weber gave Alaska State Troopers permission to search his luggage, where they found 11 ounces of marijuana. Based on the quantity of marijuana they found inside the bag, Alaska State Troopers applied for and were granted a search warrant for Weber’s residence and adjoining tattoo parlor. When the residence was searched, Alaska State Troopers found 2 shotguns and a rifle inside the residence. Alaska State Troopers also found 19 bottles of alcohol, as well as a digital scale and what appeared to be packaging material for sale of illegal narcotics. Weber had also shipped in 6 cases of alcohol from Anchorage that arrived on a later cargo flight. Weber has previously been convicted of 8 separate felonies, and was therefor prohibited from possessing firearms.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Holland stated that the Weber was at a serious risk to re offend, given his lengthy criminal history. Judge Holland fashioned his sentence on the grounds that though Weber had a lengthy criminal history he did not have a history of violence against others or a history of using firearms to facilitate his crimes.

Weber 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 Weber.

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