Kodiak Felon Sentenced to Seven Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a Kodiak man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a firearm while trafficking drugs that were intended for distribution in Kodiak, Alaska.

Miguel Angel Angulo, 34, of Kodiak, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve seven years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and 250 hours of community service.  In September 2018, Angulo pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

According to court documents, Angulo became the subject of a federal investigation when, in April and May 2018, Angulo began publicly sharing photos and videos on social media, depicting himself possessing and using firearms.  Angulo has a prior state felony conviction for a drug trafficking offense, and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

On June 1, 2018, Angulo attempted to flee his residence in Kodiak when state and federal law enforcement agents arrived to execute a search warrant.  Law enforcement officers detained Angulo and found him in possession of a Springfield .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm, which he carried to protect himself while trafficking drugs, as well as to protect the proceeds of drug trafficking.  Angulo was also in possession of approximately 117 grams of methamphetamine, 61 grams of heroin and an additional 61 grams of cocaine, all with an estimated street value of approximately $100,000.  The investigation revealed that Angulo received the narcotics via mail directly from a source in Mexico with ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel. 

During Angulo’s sentencing hearing, the court heard testimony that the amount of narcotics in Angulo’s possession was enough to support approximately 1,790 individual uses of illegal drugs.  In addition, the presence of the firearm clearly demonstrated Angulo’s major role in the illegal distribution of drugs throughout the remote island of Kodiak.  Judge Burgess highlighted Angulo’s “fundamentally flawed” argument that his actions did not pose a threat to the public because he never intended to harm anyone with the firearm, and that he played an overall minor role in the distribution of narcotics in Kodiak. The judge emphasized the need to protect the community from Angulo because of the ravaging effects of his distribution of illegal narcotics, both on the users who purchase them, and the family members, friends, and members of the community who also suffer the consequences of the drug use and addiction.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), and the Kodiak Police Department (KPD) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Stevens.