Spokane Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Charles Edgar Troutt, age 49, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on May 18, 2018, to being a felon in possession of firearms. United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Troutt to a 4-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in September 2017, officers with the Spokane Police Department began conducting surveillance of Troutt’s residence. Officers observed Troutt place a backpack in the trunk of his vehicle and drive away. The officers were aware that Troutt had a suspended license and conducted a traffic stop. During the encounter, officers observed butane torches, a scale, drug paraphernalia, and suspected controlled substances wrapped in small baggies. After obtaining warrants to search Troutt’s vehicle and residence, officers seized a Smith and Wesson .357 revolver, a Sears 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun, and other firearms. Troutt is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Joseph H. Harrington said, “The sentence imposed today should serve as a reminder that convicted felons must not possess firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to prosecuting aggressively and seeking appropriate punishment for previously convicted felons who possess firearms. I commend the ATF and Spokane Police Department officers for their tireless efforts in combating firearms offenses in our community.”

This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Spokane Police Department Patrol Anti-Crime Team (“PACT”). This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.