SEATTLE STREET GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO 5+ YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND STOLEN FIREARM
JIMMY GENE MILLER, 24, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 66 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. MILLER was arrested October 8, 2008, when he was observed by Seattle police officers at 23rd and East Union in Seattle’s Central Area.
(Media-Newswire.com) - JIMMY GENE MILLER, 24, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 66 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. MILLER was arrested October 8, 2008, when he was observed by Seattle police officers at 23rd and East Union in Seattle’s Central Area. When MILLER ran from officers he dropped a stolen pistol, and when apprehended was found to have baggies of crack cocaine. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “When I look at your history it is not just drugs, there’s an abundance of violence in your criminal history.”
According to records filed in the case, MILLER is a known gang member and self-proclaimed “Captain” of the “East Union Street Hustlers,” a street gang that operates in the Central Area of Seattle. When police approached MILLER that night in October 2008, he had an outstanding warrant for a previous drug arrest. The gun that MILLER dropped was a .40 caliber H & K semi-automatic handgun that had been reported stolen from a car in downtown Seattle on August 23, 2008. He also had more than $880 cash in his pockets. MILLER has a lengthy criminal history, with 21 arrests since he was 11-years-old.
In asking for a significant sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi wrote to the court that MILLER “has a lengthy and violent criminal history. He is a long-time and proud member of a violent criminal street gang.... As a self-proclaimed leader of the gang, imposing a lengthy sentence on Miller will send a message to similarly-situated members of his gang set that this conduct will not be tolerated. Society cannot, and should not, tolerate felons, with a history of gang associations and violence, possessing firearms, in localities that are plagued by gang and gun violence.”
Speaking to Judge Jones, MILLER said he was sorry for his crimes. “I’m way brighter than this,” he said. “Through greed, selfishness and stupidity I looked out for myself and not my kids,” MILLER said.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Violent Gang Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at ( 206 ) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.
Related Content
Published by:
N/A
Release Date
This story was released on 2009-09-01. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.