Department of Justice

Spokane – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Raymond Zack Guerrero-Garcia, age 29, of Toppenish, Washington, a Sureno Gang Member, and an enrolled member of the Confederated Bands and Tribes of the Yakama Nation, was sentenced today after having pleaded guilty on July 7, 2020, to Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Senior United States District Judge Lonny Suko sentenced Guerrero-Garcia 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, in January 2017, the victim stole drugs from Guerrero-Garcia and damaged his vehicle. In May 2017, the victim learned that Guerrero-Garcia’s mother had passed away. The victim traveled to Guerrero-Garcia’s residence, located within the external boundaries of the Yakama Nation, to offer condolences. Guerrero-Garcia approached the victim, pulled out a firearm, and shot the victim. Guerrero-Garcia then entered the victim’s vehicle and stole property including a stereo.

United States Attorney Hyslop said, “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington commends the law enforcement officers with the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, 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 removes a violent gang member 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 Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, the Toppenish Police Department, the Yakama Nation Police Department, and the Yakima Resident Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Tom Hanlon, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.