Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced Blake Lincoln Smith, 34, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been sentenced on charges of possessing heroin with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to Court documents, the charges stemmed from a July 23, 2019 search warrant execution of Smith’s vehicle, which resulted in the discovery and seizure of a loaded Springfield Armory XD-40 semiautomatic pistol and 179 grams of heroin. At the time, Smith was on state probation for drug possession and felony eluding convictions in Alaska. He also had a prior felony conviction for vehicle theft.
In imposing the 77-month sentence, District Court Judge Joshua M. Kindred emphasized Smith’s extensive criminal history and the seriousness of possessing a gun while possessing drugs as justification of the sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Alaska State Troopers (AST), Anchorage Police Department (APD), Anchorage International Airport Police, Sand Point Police, and North Slope Borough Police, in support of Alaska’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, contributed to the investigation leading to the successful prosecution in this case. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/about-project-guardian
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
