Anchorage Felon Charged for Illegal Possession of Firearms in Connection with Homicide Investigation

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Clint Registe, 37, of Anchorage, was named in a criminal complaint charging him with felon in possession of a firearm, which stems from a July 2018 homicide investigation.  Registe is in custody and is currently awaiting a court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the federal charge. 

According to the complaint affidavit, the federal charge stems from an investigation into the July 20, 2018 shooting death of Brittney Sparks.  On July 20, 2018, APD responded to Registe’s Anchorage apartment, and upon the execution of a search warrant, authorities seized several firearms – one of which was a Mak-90 semi-automatic assault rifle.  The complaint alleges that, after Registe was taken into custody, he admitted that he had been in possession of the Mak-90 rifle, and while handling it, it had gone off, killing Ms. Sparks.

Registe is currently facing additional charges with the State of Alaska for Manslaughter and Murder in the Second Degree, in connection with this case.  He has a prior felony conviction with the State of Alaska for Assault, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

If convicted, Registe faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, for the charge alleged in the complaint.  Under federal sentencing statutes, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. 

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison M. O’Leary.

This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.