Anchorage, Alaska - Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin R. Feldis announced today that a Palmer man has been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 84 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine while in possession of two firearms.
Corry William Dawson, 41, of Palmer, Alaska, previously pled guilty two felonies - 1) possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it; and 2) possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Following his release from prison, Dawson will remain on supervised release for a period of five years.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Courter, who prosecuted the case, in August 2014, Dawson was contacted by members of the Alaska State Troopers while in his vehicle outside a Palmer residence. When troopers asked Dawson to step out of his vehicle, they discovered a.40 caliber pistol inside the pocket of the driver’s side door. Dawson had stored an addition firearm - a.223 caliber rifle - elsewhere in the truck. In addition to the guns, Dawson also possessed two baggies of methamphetamine, two digital scales, a drug ledger, cash, and other items indicia of drug trafficking.
When questioned about the items in his truck, Dawson admitted that the methamphetamine and the guns were his and that he was prohibited from possessing the guns due to his prior felony conviction. He also admitted to law enforcement that he kept the firearms because there was always a chance that he could be robbed while selling methamphetamine.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess described Dawson’s crimes as extremely serious in nature, noting that possessing guns while being involved in drug trafficking is an “inherently dangerous" combination. Burgess went on to comment that adding guns to a drug crime is nothing short of a “prescription for disaster."
In announcing the sentence, Feldis commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Alaska State Troopers (AST), who investigated the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
