Marysville man sentenced to prison for weapons crimes

TULALIP — A Marysville man caught with a stockpile of guns, including a military-style rifle, has been sentenced to a decade in prison.

Federal prosecutors called John Charles Keinath a prolific criminal who has spent the last 20 years engaged in a dangerous and illegal lifestyle.

“While the United States is sympathetic to defendant’s difficult upbringing, he has done little to transcend that background. Defendant has never sought viable treatment for mental health issues and has abused drugs on a daily basis,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Tate London wrote in court papers.

“Defendant has little, if any, legitimate work history. Finally, defendant acts out in a manner that is alarming and dangerous to those around him,” Tate added.

A federal grand jury indicted Keinath, 45, last year on three separate weapons crimes. The Marysville man is a convicted felon who is forbidden from having guns. He later admitted that he’d amassed nine stolen weapons.

The indictment came after a SWAT team raided Keinath’s ex-girlfriend’s house on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Keinath and his new girlfriend were sitting on a bed with drugs between them when police breached the house, court papers said.

Detectives found a stolen and loaded handgun in a safe along with more drugs. They also found a stolen handgun in a backpack near the bed. A Honda Element parked outside held nine guns, most of them stolen from a storage locker. There were multiple stolen laptops in the car, including one taken while the homeowners were at a funeral. Keinath’s storage locker held stolen electronics and at least one other gun.

Keinath, whose street nickname is “Flare,” eventually admitted to the detectives that he was in the business of fencing stolen property and selling drugs. He was slinging pounds of heroin and methamphetamine.

Keinath pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He was sentenced earlier this month with both sides recommending a 10-year prison stint.

Judge Marsha Pechman ordered Keinath to get treatment for substance abuse and mental illness once he’s released. He’ll be on probation for three years. Pechman also recommended that Keinath be sent to a prison outside the state.

Keinath’s last stint behind bars 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.

He also made headlines in 2010 when he threatened to strangle a nurse who laughed when he mentioned wanting to name his newborn son after mob boss John Gotti. She thought the new father was joking, but Keinath tracked down the nurse’s home phone number and left a threatening message.

Keinath came to the attention of Marysville Police last year. Detectives were told that Keinath was supplying addicts with heroin and meth in exchange for stolen property, including guns.

One of his customers estimated that Keinath was dealing to as many as 100 people a day.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.