Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Joey Alan Yamada, age 55, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on April 17, 2018, to possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Yamada to a 168-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court supervision after he is released from federal prison.

According to information disclosed during court proceedings, while executing a warrant to search Yamada’s residence, Spokane Police officers seized approximately four pounds of methamphetamine secreted in a safe and behind a wall. Officers also seized sixteen firearms, including a sawed-off rifle, and other drug trafficking accoutrements.

Joseph H. Harrington said, "The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the Spokane Police Department, the DEA, and the ATF who investigated this case. Their seamless partnership resulted in the successful outcome of this matter. The sentence imposed by the court removes a drug trafficker from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may choose to engage in such criminal activity."

This case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is a federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals responsible for violent crimes in our neighborhoods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for violent crime in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.

This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Spokane Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

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