Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Spokane – Joseph H. Harrington, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Damien T. White, age 21, of Toppenish, Washington, and an enrolled member of the Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakama Nation, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019, to Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced White to a 10-year 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, on May 20, 2017, White, an associate of the Sureno criminal street gang, approached a residence in Toppenish, Washington. White pulled out a firearm, aimed, and shot at the residence. White then ran away. Small children and several other individuals were inside the residence at the time of the shooting. Fortunately, no one was injured. Citizens of the community, who were fed up with gang-related violence, immediately reported the incident to the police.

Joseph H. Harrington said, "The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the Toppenish Police Department, the Yakama Nation Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives who investigated this case. Their seamless partnership resulted in the successful outcome of this matter. The sentence imposed by the court 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 Yakama Nation Police Department, the Toppenish Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Meghan M. McCalla and Tom Hanlon, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.

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