Activity in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Wyoming
Recent Sentencings
Firearm Offenses
Joshua Charles Crook, 34, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced on August 17 to 40 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. According to court documents, on December 17, 2022, the defendant was located at the Rodeway Inn Motel in Casper. He is a previous felon and had multiple warrants for his arrest, so he was immediately taken into custody. Officers were given consent to search the room and located drugs and a firearm. Crook admitted the firearm was his and pled guilty to the charge. This crime was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom prosecuted the case.
George Dean Jackson, 26, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced on August 14 to 44 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence which includes three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. According to court documents, on December 20, 2022, the defendant, a known felon, fled from law enforcement. Upon apprehension and inventory of the vehicle he was driving, a short-barreled shotgun was located. Jackson pled guilty to the charges of the indictment. This crime was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom prosecuted the case.
Chaney Yates Jones, 39, of Glenrock, Wyoming, was sentenced on August 17 to 57 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence which includes five years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment. According to court documents, on May 12, 2022, Jones was arrested by Converse County Sheriff’s deputies. The defendant was found in possession of approximately 26 grams of fentanyl, nearly 32 grams of methamphetamine, over $2,000 in US currency and a loaded shotgun. This crime was investigated by the Converse County Sheriff’s Department and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Child Pornography
Brian Joseph Nielsen, 38, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced on August 17 to 148 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography, second or subsequent conviction. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence which includes 15 years of supervised release following Nielsen’s prison term.
According to court documents, Nielson was indicted in July 2010 and pleaded guilty to interstate shipment of child pornography. He was sentenced to 135 months in prison based on special concerns that Nielson was a danger to children. Nielson began his lifetime supervised release in December 2019. On February 24, Nielson’s probation officer found him in possession of two unauthorized cell phones. Nielson admitted to knowingly possessing approximately 2,000 images of child pornography on one of the cell phones. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne Martens.
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