Anchorage Man Charged for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Drugs

ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was indicted on federal charges of possessing heroin and methamphetamine for distribution and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

According to court records, the federal charges against Kirt Filoialii, 42, stem from a domestic violence investigation by the Anchorage Police Department (APD). On April 15, Filoialii is alleged to have assaulted a female victim with a firearm and metal bar leaving her unconscious and injured. Also, Filoialii is alleged to have kidnapped the victim as part of the assault. When located by APD, Filoialii had 300 grams of packaged heroin and 11 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded Glock pistol, more than $16,000 in cash and a scale. APD located two more firearms and additional ammunition in his residence. The Anchorage District Attorney’s Office indicted Filoialii on state charges on April 22. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Filoialii in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith. If convicted of all charges, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The Anchorage Police Department in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Safe Street Task Force are investigating the case. Assistant District Attorney Luba Bartnitskaia is prosecuting the state case for the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office, Department of Law.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the federal case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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