Craig Man Sentenced For Firearms Violation

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Justin J. Seley, 36, of Craig, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a registered firearm by an unregistered person.   

According to court documents, on October 23, 2018, Seley possessed 7 rifles, 2 handguns and a receiver. All firearms were seized. One of the seized firearms was a short barreled DSA ZM4 .300 caliber rifle, which was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  As someone previously convicted of a felony, Seley was prohibited from possessing firearms. In May of 2020, Seley plead guilty to possession of a registered firearm by an unregistered person. 

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess cited the seriousness of the offense, and noted the need for general deterrence. All firearms seized in the case were forfeited.         

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/about-project-guardian