Nampa Man Gets 18 Months for Possessing Unregistered Rifle

Seth Dennis Wilson, 32, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boise to 18 months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Wilson to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and pay a $500 fine.

Wilson pleaded guilty to the charge on February 2, 2011. According to the plea agreement, law enforcement officers discovered a semi-automatic rifle with a barrel approximately 8-1/2 inches in length in the residence of Wilson’s brother-in-law, Ronald Robert Ebaugh. Ebaugh’s residence was searched pursuant to the terms of his misdemeanor probation. Wilson admitted that he had manufactured the rifle sometime around July 2009 and later stored it at Ebaugh’s home. Wilson further admitted to knowing that the rifle had a barrel less than 16 inches in length, and that he had not registered the rifle in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. As part of his plea, Wilson agreed to forfeit the firearm.

In the related case, Ronald Ebaugh pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol and was sentenced in February to 30 months in prison.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Canyon County Misdemeanor Probation Office.

Wilson was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southeast Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.