Convicted Felon to Serve 52 Months in Prison for Discharging a Firearm After Calling 911

BOISE –Santiago Prieto, 65, of Nampa, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.

According to court records, in January 2024, paramedics responded to an emergency call from Prieto. When paramedics arrived, Prieto refused to open the door to his hotel room. Paramedics then heard two gunshots from inside the room. Law enforcement responded and heard another gunshot coming from the window of Prieto’s room. One officer saw a firearm pointed in the direction of other responding officers. Officers were eventually able to convince Prieto to exit his room unarmed. After officers arrested Prieto, he admitted to firing two shots out of the window. Inside the room, officers found a 9mm pistol, along with several shell casings

At the time of the offense, Prieto was on parole for a felony arson conviction. Prieto was prohibited from possessing firearms due to several prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and battery on a correctional officer. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Prieto to serve 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

“I commend the successful efforts of the Boise Police Department to deescalate the situation and achieve Prieto’s safe surrender.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott stated. “This case highlights how dangerous it is for the community when violent offenders have access to firearms.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott thanked the Boise Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office for their cooperative efforts that led to the charge in this case.

This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler, who was 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.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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