A Seattle man with three prior federal convictions was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 61 months in prison for witness tampering and absconding from federal supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  DAVID POSEY, 52, of Seattle, was arrested in June 2018 after he traveled to Portland, Oregon, without notifying his probation officer.  POSEY had convinced an autistic woman whom he met at a local community college to travel with him.  The investigation revealed that he pressured the 19-year-old victim to lie to law enforcement about sexual activity.  The woman has a guardian because she is considered vulnerable and unable to make certain financial and personal decisions.  At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said POSEY “is a crook and a fraudster….  A fraudster taking advantage of a situation and manipulating it to his advantage.”

            According to records filed in the case, POSEY was released into the community from his 65-month federal prison sentence on June 4, 2017.  Barely a year later, an arrest warrant was issued when he failed to check in with his probation officer.  POSEY was located and arrested June 20, 2018, in a Portland motel room with a developmentally disabled 19-year-old.  Following his arrest, POSEY communicated repeatedly with the woman by mail and telephone to get her to change the information she provided to law enforcement.  Ultimately, a court-authorized search of mobile phones belonging to POSEY revealed the truth of the sexual contact and his efforts to get the witness to lie to law enforcement.  In November 2018, POSEY pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness.

            POSEY has criminal convictions dating back to 1985, including federal convictions for: being a felon in possession of a firearm, mail fraud, and conspiracy (1997); two counts of mail fraud (2004); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful production of identity documents, and counterfeiting (2011).

            The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.