Federal Jury Convicts Jerome Man for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms

BOISE –  Daniel Andrew Mills, 41, of Jerome, Idaho, was convicted today by a federal jury in Boise for unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Mills was indicted on February 9, 2016.

During the two-day trial, the jury heard evidence that Mills, a convicted felon who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals on a federal warrant for a supervised release violation, was driving through Jerome at 2:15 a.m. on January 11, 2016, when a Jerome County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop him for a broken taillight.  Mills fled in his car, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.  Mills’ car became disabled after he crashed through a fence and hit a parked vehicle.  Mills refused all commands to exit the vehicle and repeatedly stuck the barrel of a shotgun outside of the driver’s window.  The armed stand-off lasted several hours before a Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office hostage negotiator talked Mills out of the car and he was arrested without incident.  Inside of the car, deputies found a loaded shotgun and a loaded .25 pistol.  At the time Mills was in possession of the firearms, he was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Mills has previously been convicted of assault with intent to commit a serious felony, aiding and abetting delivery of controlled substance, escape, forgery, and possession of controlled substance.

"I want to thank all the law enforcement officers involved for their efforts and willingness to put themselves in harm’s way in order to bring Mr. Mills to justice,” said Olson.  “Their restraint and professionalism in peacefully resolving this armed stand-off is but one example of Idaho law enforcement protecting the community as a whole, to include individuals like Mr. Mills who seek to do them harm.”

Mills faces up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of firearms. 

Sentencing is set for January 12, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case was investigated by the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, the Jerome City Police Department, the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.