EVERETT — A U.S. District Court judge sentenced an Everett man to 15 years in prison Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Seattle for eight drug and gun-related federal felonies over three years.
In September, a jury convicted David James Michael Jensen, 42, of “five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime,” according to a United States Department of Justice press release.
On Sept. 7, 2021, Jesnsen was fleeing the scene of a two-car accident when he left behind a backpack with identity documents and a loaded 9 mm handgun with extra ammunition, resulting in a conviction for illegally possessing the firearm, the release said.
On April 7, 2022, law enforcement detained Jensen for driving without a license. During a court-authorized search of his car, officers found several loaded firearms, fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, the release said. This resulted in a conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
On May 11, 2022, officers saw Jensen’s vehicle enter an Everett apartment complex. The officers already had probable cause to arrest Jensen for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance after the incident in April, court documents said.
Following a narcotics K-9 alerting officers to the vehicle and receiving a search warrant, they discovered heroin, methamphetamine and a Hi-Point nine caliber pistol in the vehicle, court documents said.
On July 31, 2024, Everett police followed Jensen as he drove, without a license, to a storage unit where officers found several firearms, including two privately made guns without serial numbers, ammunition, 400 fentanyl pills and several motorbikes, including one that was stolen, the release said. During the arrest, officers found narcotics on Jensen.
On Dec. 27, 2024, Everett police observed Jensen while he placed various bags in different vehicles in Seattle. In one of the vehicles, officers found a loaded Glock 19 handgun, fentanyl, heroin and drug paraphernalia, the release said.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs prosecuted the case and asked for a 15-year sentence.
“Jensen was caught on multiple occasions with firearms and distribution quantities of drugs. He was clearly redistributing drugs and was in possession of firearms while doing so,” Hobbs wrote to the court. “Jensen clearly had no regard for the law, returning to possessing drugs and guns despite being detained for doing so on multiple occasions… Jensen’s actions placed the community, law enforcement, and himself at risk.”
At the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Judge Tana Lin addressed Jensen.
“You were bringing dangerous drugs into the state. Drugs that are causing thousands of deaths in our country,” Lin said. “Your actions contributed greatly to that suffering…. You kept getting drugs and guns despite being repeatedly detained by police.”
The Everett Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
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