Twin Falls Man Sentenced As Armed Career Criminal

BOISE – Paul Edward Parnell, 47, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Parnell to serve four years of supervised release, pay a $1,000 fine, and forfeit the firearm and ammunition he illegally possessed. He was found guilty after a bench trial on August 19, 2014.

According to court records, Twin Falls Police officers served a search warrant on Parnell’s residence and located a sawed-off shotgun in the defendant’s bedroom. Parnell has an extensive criminal history that includes seven prior felony convictions. Because Parnell had previously been convicted of at least three felony crimes of violence, he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years to life under the Armed Career Criminal Act. Parnell was previously convicted in Massachusetts of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and assault with a weapon. He had also been convicted of a felony domestic violence offense in California.

The case was investigated by the Twin Falls Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.