Repeat Offender Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison For Possessing a Firearm

Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced David Allen Vickers, age 53, of Yakima, Washington, to 150 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Vickers will also be on federal supervised release for three years after serving his custodial sentence.

The following information was made public during the legal proceedings.  Between 1991 and 2020, Vickers was convicted of multiple criminal offenses, including Driving under the Influence, Residential Burglary, Third Degree Assault, Fourth Degree Assault, Conspiracy to Deliver Marijuana, Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Obstruction, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Forgery.

In 2020, Vickers was charged in State court with Residential Burglary, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle, and Third Degree Assault. On May 17, 2023, he was permitted to resolve the charges by entering into a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (SOSA) program.

On June 21, 2023, while serving a term of State community custody supervision for the above, Vickers was found sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle on the roadway.  Officers with the Yakima Police Department approached the vehicle and woke him. One of the officers believed he was intoxicated.  An officer asked Vickers to step out of the vehicle for a field sobriety test.  As he exited the vehicle, an officer saw what he believed to be Vickers tossing a gun into the backseat.  Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and found a loaded firearm in the rear of the vehicle.  Officers also found several pills in Vickers’ pocket.  Officers ran a check and learned that he had a lengthy criminal history and was the subject of an arrest warrant for violating conditions of his SOSA program.

On September 12, 2023, a federal Grand Jury returned an indictment that charged Vickers with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On July 29, 2025, he pled guilty to the Indictment.  On the same day, he was released over the government’s objection.  Within three weeks, he cut off his GPS monitoring device and fled.  In early August 2025, the United States Marshals Service arrested him in the Western District of Washington.   

First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano drew a stark difference between the rights of law-abiding citizens and convicted felons to possess firearms: “It is well established that law-abiding American citizens have a Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.  Law-abiding citizens who own firearms are often fierce advocates for gun safety and routinely support restricting dangerous felons from possessing firearms. Mr. Vickers is not such a person. He possessed illegal drugs and has more than 30 prior misdemeanor and/or felony convictions.  His conduct makes him a danger to the community and has justifiably resulted in him being prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to defending all citizens’ rights under our Constitution, and to seeking appropriate accountability for individuals who pose a danger to the community.”   

“Mr. Vickers’ criminal history is staggering, and his habitual disregard for the law shows he has not learned from his prior sentences. By holding offenders like Mr. Vickers accountable, ATF, our law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are helping protect our communities and reinforcing that those who illegally possess firearms and endanger public safety will be held accountable.”

This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), the Yakima Police Department (“YPD”), the Washington State Department of Corrections (“DOC”), and the United States Marshals Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Hanlon.