SEATTLE — Trial has been delayed for a Marysville man indicted on federal gun charges.
John Keinath’s attorney petitioned the court for more time to accommodate his involvement in other criminal trials. The Seattle lawyer also wrote that he was asking for “sufficient time for negotiation and possible non-trial resolution of this case.”
Keinath’s trial is now scheduled for mid-November. He was indicted in May on three federal weapons charges stemming from an investigation earlier this year. Keinath, also known as “Flare,” allegedly was in possession of at least a dozen guns, including military-style rifles. He is a convicted felon and isn’t allowed to have firearms.
He initially was charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with a dozen felonies. Federal prosecutors took over the case and the state charges here were dismissed.
Detectives suspect Keinath, 44, was supplying addicts with heroin and methamphetamine in exchange for stolen property, including firearms. One of his alleged customers estimated that Keinath was dealing to as many as 100 people a day.
He was arrested in February during a SWAT raid at his ex-girlfriend’s house on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. He and his current girlfriend reportedly were sitting on a bed with drugs between them when police raided the house.
Detectives found a stolen gun in a safe along with more drugs. They found a stolen handgun in a backpack near the bed. Keinath’s Honda Element held nine guns, most of them stolen from a storage locker.
There were multiple stolen laptops in the car, including one that was taken while the homeowners were at a funeral.
Keinath’s last stint in prison was in 2013 after he was convicted of driving a motorcycle more than 100 mph on Highway 9 to escape deputies. The manhunt started in Lake Stevens and included two helicopters.
His rap sheet also includes convictions for assaults and a drive-by shooting. He was convicted in 2010 of harassment after threatening to kill a nurse who thought he was joking about wanting to name his newborn son after mob boss, John Gotti.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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