17-Year Sentence in Tulalip Reservation Homicide
A man from the Tulalip Reservation has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison following his admission of guilt regarding a 2022 killing at a residence on the reservation.
A 40-year-old defendant entered pleas of guilty to voluntary manslaughter and the use of a firearm during a violent crime prior to sentencing in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday. The sentencing details were outlined in a statement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.
Authorities allege the defendant shot a friend, a 60-year-old man, multiple times at a home located on Totem Beach Road on May 28, 2022. Investigators from the FBI and the Tulalip Police Department reported that the shooting occurred after a dispute arose concerning noise generated by tools used during vehicle repairs. Records indicate the victim was unarmed at the time of the incident.
Charles Neil Floyd, first assistant U.S. Attorney, described the incident as a "completely senseless crime" in a statement. He noted that the defendant used a homemade firearm to shoot the victim in the back of the head, the heart, and the shoulder during what was described as a verbal altercation.
Prosecutors noted the defendant had previously faced accusations related to a firearm discharge during a robbery at a Costco warehouse. He also served a prior 10-year federal prison sentence for drug trafficking.
Although prior convictions legally barred the defendant from possessing firearms, investigators discovered four self-manufactured ghost guns at his residence during the investigation.
The defendant was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in 2023 with charges including second-degree murder, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.
As part of a plea agreement, the defendant also admitted to unrelated charges stemming from King County involving attempted robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Authorities stated that sentences for these charges are expected to run concurrently with the federal prison term.