Dennehotso Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Short-Barreled Shotgun

     PHOENIX, Ariz. – This week, Demetrius Sturkey, of Dennehotso, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Sturkey had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm.

     On February 20, 2019, Sturkey possessed a weapon made from a shotgun, which had been modified to shorten the barrel.  Federal law prohibits the possession of a weapon made from a shotgun, if the modified weapon has a barrel less than 18 inches in length and an overall length of less than 26 inches, unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  The firearm Sturkey possessed was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  Sturkey is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and this crime occurred on the Navajo Nation Reservation. Sturkey’s sentence was enhanced because the firearm he possessed was previously stolen.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.