A Federal Way man was sentenced to five years in prison by the U.S. District Court on May 3 for drug and gun trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Michael G. McPherson, 35, was indicted in May 2019 and pleaded guilty in November 2020 to trafficking stolen firearms, possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Judge Benjamin H. Settle also ordered four years of supervised release following McPherson’s prison time.
“Our community, like much of the country, is struggling with an epidemic of gun violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “This defendant sold guns — some of them stolen — to someone who claimed to be providing the firearms to drug cartel and gang members. Such disregard for community safety requires significant punishment.”
According to records filed in the case, a court-authorized search warrant served at McPherson’s residence in Bonney Lake resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and multiple firearms in September 2018.
Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives joined the investigation, and an ATF undercover officer arranged to purchase firearms from McPherson, according to the DOJ.
The men met at a storage unit McPherson owned, and the undercover agent purchase three semi-automatic pistols and a revolver. Two of the guns had been reported stolen.
Days after, court-authorized search warrants were issued for McPherson’s residence in Federal Way, the storage unit, and his two vehicles. Multiple firearms and dealer quantities of methamphetamine and heroin were recovered.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory A. Gruber.
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