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A Seattle man who has been charged in connection with the drive-by shooting death of a Kent, Washington toddler was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for a separate crime involving the illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. DEMARTRAE LESHAWN KIME, 24, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in Seattle on October 25, 2014. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik told the defendant, “I take this case very seriously because you armed yourself and had drugs in the car.”
“This case exemplifies the need to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “This defendant used a gun to threaten people who simply walked past his car at a gas station. I commend the witness who not only alerted police, but helped identify this defendant so he could be held accountable.”
According to records filed in the case, KIME was pulling his car into a gas station at 700 12th Avenue in Seattle as three people were leaving the parking lot to get into a ride share vehicle. KIME rolled down his window, pointed a black handgun at the three and told them “Don’t come up on my car like that homey.” After getting into the ride share car, one of the victims called 9-1-1, and described KIME and his car. Seattle police responded and took KIME into custody while he was pumping gas into his car. One of the victims left the concert he was attending in downtown Seattle to return to the scene and identify KIME as the person who pointed the gun at him. At the time of his arrest KIME had a dozen small packages of cocaine in his pocket. After getting a search warrant, police located a Taurus .45 caliber pistol in the glove compartment of the car that matched the description provided by the victims.
KIME is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his convictions for Theft (2013), Assault (2012) and robbery (2010).
After his October 2014 arrest, KIME was released pending state charges. He failed to appear and was later charged with armed robbery in Oregon. KIME was charged in federal court on June 8, 2015 and was taken in to federal custody in the Western District of Washington on June 12, 2015.
Last month, the King County Prosecutor’s Office filed a second degree murder charge, two counts of assault and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm against KIME in connection with the April 16, 2015 drive by shooting death of one-year-old Malijha Grant. The child was in the back seat of her mother’s car when a gunman in a dark colored sedan opened fire on Lake Fenwick road in Kent.
Following today’s sentencing, KIME will be transferred to state custody on the King County charges. KIME also faces an armed robbery charge in the District of Oregon.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs. Mr. Hobbs is a Senior Deputy King County Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute gun crimes in federal court.