Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BOISE – Jeffrey Eldridge, 57, of Boise, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.  U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Eldridge to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

According to court records, Eldridge was involuntarily committed to an Idaho State hospital in 2016.  In that proceeding, a state magistrate judge found Eldridge "gravely" disabled due to mental illness.  Because of this involuntary commitment, Eldridge could not lawfully possess firearms under federal law and was subsequently notified of this firearms disability.

Eldridge has a history of mental illness and delusions where he believes others are attempting to harm him.  On January 11, 2023, two officers responded to Eldridge’s residence in Boise to take him into custody for a mental evaluation.  During the contact, officers located ten firearms in the home and approximately 1,300 rounds of ammunition.

“The unlawful possession of firearms by those with mental illnesses present a public safety risk that cannot be ignored,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit.  “This case exemplifies the collaborative work of our Project Safe Neighborhoods program, where local police cooperatively worked with federal counterparts.”

U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Boise Police Department for their collective efforts on the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.  PSN is 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.

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