Boise Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun Crime

BOISE – Jesse Starkey, 35, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 30 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered that Starkey’s 30 month sentence is to run concurrent to a state sentence that he is currently serving.  After his period of imprisonment, Starkey will have to serve three years of supervised release and have no contact with gang members.  Starkey entered a guilty plea in February 2016. 

According to court documents, law enforcement stopped a vehicle Starkey was driving.  During the stop, officers discovered Starkey was on parole for aggravated assault.  Starkey and a passenger in the vehicle were asked to step out and speak with officers.  Officers noticed two knives inside the vehicle.  Starkey’s person was searched and officers found a hatchet, brass knuckles and a homemade weapon called a blackjack.  Starkey’s vehicle was subsequently searched and officers found three additional hatchets, a CO2 pistol resembling a semi-automatic pistol, two folding knives, a shotgun with a barrel that was less than eighteen inches and a rifle in the trunk.  Starkey was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of the felony crime of aggravated assault. 

This case was a result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and Meridian police department.  The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. 

These cases are being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.