Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Randy Coy James Holmes, age 22, of Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on May 9, 2019, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr., sentenced Holmes to a 37-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, a Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with four occupants in Moses Lake, Washington. During the encounter, the deputy seized a stolen firearm from the vehicle’s rear passenger compartment and in close proximity to Holmes, a member of the Little Valley Locos street gang. Holmes is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. The firearm was submitted to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, which determined it contained a latent print belonging to Holmes.

United States Attorney Hyslop said, “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to prosecuting individuals who unlawfully possess firearms. Such offenses are serious and just punishment will be pursued against those individuals who violate the firearms laws. I commend the ATF, Grant County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory for their commitment to this successful prosecution.”

This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.

This case was investigated by the Spokane Regional Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.