A Puyallup man, who also owned a Kent home, received a seven-year prison sentence on Friday for shooting and killing two men in 2012 at his Pierce County home where he was growing marijuana.
Jeremy Peter Capodanno, 36, also must be on supervised release for three years for manufacturing marijuana and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office media release. He was arrested in April 2013 and pleaded guilty in October.
Under terms of the plea agreement, Capodanno is forfeiting nearly $670,000 in proceeds from the sale of his Puyallup and Kent homes. He also is forfeiting a 2008 Mercedes, a 2008 Toyota pickup truck and five firearms seized at the crime scene.
“There’s no excuse for you to do that, to set the conditions for the fire fight in your garage is inexcusable,” said U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton prior to the sentencing. “The conditions were set, the fuse was lit, and the ravage began.”
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan gave the following statement about Capodanno.
“This defendant knew the risks of drug dealing, and armed himself with multiple weapons to protect his business,” Durkan said. “He invited violence to his child’s home and his community. “He acted as judge, jury and executioner for the two men who came to rip off his illegal operation. Our federal enforcement focus remains on those who bring violence and use firearms to protect illegal drug businesses.”
On Dec. 6, 2012, Capodanno shot two men who had broken into the garage of his Puyallup residence – killing both of them. In the garage loft was a marijuana grow with nearly 200 plants. When police officers arrived, they found Capodanno in possession of a Glock 17, 9 mm semiautomatic pistol, which is the gun that he used to kill the two men.
While searching Capodanno’s truck, police found additional marijuana as well as other weapons including a Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle; an Intratec Tec-9 9 mm pistol; a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun; and a Professional Ordinance MDL Carbon 15.
Writing to the court, prosecutors described how Capodanno left the house (with his minor son still inside), while he took his gun and circled around the side of the house and fired back into the house through a window likely killing one of the intruders. Capodanno is seen on the surveillance system he installed carefully aiming and shooting through the window. Evidence retrieved at the scene indicates he then went into the garage and continued to fire more than a dozen shots at the two men, killing both.
Prosecutors wrote that Capodanno “is a long-time drug trafficker, selling large amounts of marijuana for over a decade. Based on the assets he accumulated, his illegal activity was quite lucrative, letting him live a lifestyle that included expensive real estate, high-powered ski boats, motorcycles, luxury vehicles, and other assets.”
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