Gang Member Felon Sentenced to Serve 63 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearm

PORTLAND, Ore. - Timothy Gaines 20, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced yesterday by U. S. District Judge Michael Simon to 63 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, for felon in possession of a firearm. This sentence represents the high-end of the sentencing range (51-63 months).

On July 18, 2011, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers responded to multiple reports of shots fired in Northeast Portland near Unthank Park. Dispatch broadcasted reports of six gunshots and suspects on foot near the park. Responding officers contacted a group of young men, including Gaines, who were walking away from the area. Gaines broke from the group and sprinted through Unthank Park while holding his waistband with one hand. Officers observed him make a throwing motion towards the park's bathroom roof, and soon thereafter, officers recovered a loaded firearm from the bathroom gutter. Officers arrested Gaines, and during a search of his person, they recovered two mismatched black knit gloves, recognized by Gang Enforcement Team officers as "shooter gloves."

On August 23, 2011, after a three-day jury trial, defendant was convicted of felon in possession of a firearm. Defendant is a member of the Unthank Park Hustlers, and he has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon from 2010. He committed the instant offense just one month after his release from a 15-month prison sentence on his prior conviction. "The danger presented by gang members with loaded firearms cannot be overstated - it is a recipe for homicide, especially in this community where the number of violent gang incidents is surging upwards," said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. "This sentence helps us send the right message to the gang community - gun violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible."

This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Leah K. Bolstad and Pam Holsinger.