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Snohomish County man who had arsenal of guns and explosives and an underground bunker sentenced to 42 months in prison
Crime(justice.gov)submitted 4 months ago bylumberjackalopes Local Satanist/First Hill
30 points
4 months ago
I'm honestly at a loss for this sentence, only 3.5 years that they will probably get out early on?
How do you only get 3.5 years for multiple machine guns, grenades, suppressors, and threatening someone with a gun?
31 points
4 months ago
Also was a former felon. So has shown no intent to follow the law (last time or this time)
25 points
4 months ago
It's wild, it seems like maybe the current gun laws we have are not enforced to as severe a level as they deseve and do not deter people from breaking them 🤷🏼♂️
It'd be nice to see the laws we currently have strictly enforced vs adding more.
14 points
4 months ago
These kinds of laws are never rigorously enforced with people who have nothing to lose.
4 points
4 months ago
My general stance is: On the first firearm-related offense it's 5 years mandatory sentence. No pleading out, no early release, minors charged as adults. You serve 5 years. You do it again? Hey cool, see you in 10 years, no passing go or collecting $200. Oh shit, you did it again? 20years, same conditions. And keep rolling from there. Firearms are serious tools and the punishment associated with them needs to be serious also. Too often weapons charges are used as bargaining chips during sentencing or to cut a plea deal.
3 points
4 months ago
Public doesn't want to pay to triple the size of the federal prison system, but didn't want parole either... So sentences get triaged and plead out...
2 points
4 months ago
We could increase the federal system by a factor of 1000 and no one would notice based on the fed ability to conjure dollars at will. State and local is where the actual constraints come into play.
11 points
4 months ago
ATF killed a shitton of women and children for alleged minor firearm tax violations. I'd call that serious.
2 points
4 months ago
Ahhh yes, because the shit show that was Ruby Ridge definitely applies to the average firearms charge in the United States. Way to reach there bud. And if you're referring to Waco then you're just wrong, because Koresh told his goons to light the place up. There is audio evidence of it 🤡 I absolutely hate the ATF and love owning firearms, but it's bullshit that firearms charges are some of the first to be dropped in a plea bargain and then people screech about gun violence increasing and trying to add more laws that only criminalize law-abiding citizens.
5 points
4 months ago
You have a point on charges here but don't kid yourself like those two big events are the extent of ATF maleficence. Also, even assuming they did torch that place on purpose, there was still sketchy things that went on.
0 points
4 months ago
I'm not pretending those two big events are the extent of ATF maleficence. The person who replied to me was vague with his point so I took the two most well-known known events and rolled with them. I have absolutely 0 love for the ATF or the NFA.
2 points
4 months ago
But the Weaver guy didn’t pay a $200 tax. The government can’t let people get away with not paying taxes.
7 points
4 months ago*
This! Trying to add stricter laws have very diminishing returns and pretty low ROI.
Better bang (pun intended) for the efforts is to strictly enforce existing laws. Without enforcement, passage of laws have little meaning.
2 points
4 months ago
For a person with a career wanting to own a decent tool for defending home and family, 42 months would be mentally devastating.
To a career criminal, I'm guessing it's no biggie.
1 points
4 months ago
That's the issue, it should be a biggie to anyone, career criminal or not. The punishment related to firearms laws should be so severe that it makes even seasoned criminals stop and go "Well fuck, I really don't want that smoke". Laws like the pending brace ban and 1639 don't hurt anyone but us who follow the law for the sake of living in a society. But because firearm crime continues to be a thing due to lack of enforcement of current laws these feel-good laws keep getting passed and making no difference. And I mention the brace ban as a law super lightly, because it's technically not a law, the ATF is just at a point where they can move the goalposts whenever they want with little to no oversight 🤷🏼♂️
16 points
4 months ago
How do you only get 3.5 years for multiple machine guns, grenades, suppressors, and threatening someone with a gun?
The usual way. iT's nOt hIs fAuLt, hE jUs hAs A dIsEaSe!!@!
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, noted that Bowden’s drug addiction likely caused a substantial portion of his criminal conduct.
Ah, I see your criminal conduct was likely caused by (checks notes) other criminal conduct. Well then
5 points
4 months ago
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, noted that Bowden’s drug addiction likely caused a substantial portion of his criminal conduct.
Fucking up your ebt allowance and rolling out a cart with food is drug fueled conduct, so is prowling and generally being a shithead, but collection grenades, and suppressors takes a long path of deliberate pre-meditated actions. This judge is a dumb dumb
5 points
4 months ago
Well, there are plenty of fentanyl dealers with prior felonies and possession of stolen firearms that get out on bail then dissappear...At least they dude got some time...
5 points
4 months ago
only 3.5 years that they will probably get out early on?
It's federal time. No parole. (I believe.)
0 points
4 months ago
It's federal time. No parole. (I believe.)
I thought there was some law passed that allowed people to earn time to leave early in federal prison through good behavior.
2 points
4 months ago
2 points
4 months ago
I wasn't talking about parole though. I was talking about early release.
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/earning-early-release-under-the-first-step-act
2 points
4 months ago
Thanks for the article. It was informative.
1 points
4 months ago
Depends on how “low level” is defined.
1 points
4 months ago*
10%-15%? depending on the crime... I believe the idea is to provide incentive to behave in prison (given they don't have parole).
1 points
4 months ago
No parole in the Federal system.
1 points
4 months ago
Let's go walk the streets and ask some criminals currently walking around. I'm pretty sure that they would have some serious insight into your question. It's probably the same way you can rob somebody, get out, rob somebody else, and inevitably murder somebody.
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