Boise Man Admits Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition

BOISE – Michael Sean Crist, 46, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to one count of unlawfully possessing ammunition, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to the plea agreement, Crist possessed 555 rounds of ammunition on September 5, 2012. Crist was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction. According to court records, Crist was previously convicted in Ada County in 2004 of possessing a controlled substance with the intent to deliver. Crist was sentenced to prison, but was released on parole in 2011. As a condition of his release, Crist agreed to searches of his person or property. On September 5, 2012, parole officers searched Crist’s residence where they located a .22 semiautomatic pistol and a box of ammunition in Crist’s bedroom.

The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.

Crist is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case was investigated by the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole, Meridian Police Department, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Metro Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.

Crist is being 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 southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.