Federal Agents, in partnership with the Auburn Police Department, were in Auburn to execute a federal arrest warrant.
FBI Seattle Division Public Affairs Special Agent Shelley Gryz confirmed that “court-authorized law enforcement activity involving the FBI and Auburn Police Department took place in the vicinity of 28th and M Streets in Auburn, WA on June 26th. Valley SWAT assisted with a second location about a mile away on B Street.”
“A federal arrest warrant for Jason Smith was executed by Auburn PD the following day on June 27th,” Gryz continued, “and [the] FBI took Smith into custody on June 28th.”
According to the filed complaint (read the full complaint), probable cause was found to arrest Smith for Felon in Possession of Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)( l ):
“Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g) makes it unlawful for certain classes of individuals to ship, transport, possess or receive any firearm or ammunition with the required interstate commerce nexus. Those prohibited classes of persons are: convicted felons (§ 922(g)(1))…”
Establishing Probable Cause for Arrest
In December 2018 Valley SWAT executed a search warrant at a property Smith was known to reside. During the search, it was found that the travel trailer Smith and his girlfriend were living in, on the property, was reported stolen in March 2015. Smith informed investigators he had purchased the trailer on OfferUp.
“Inside the stolen trailer,” states the complaint, “was a large flat-screen television that was turned on and there were numerous surveillance camera pictures of the property on the television. Next to the television, there was a digital scale with a white, [powdery] substance on the scale that was field-tested and produced a presumptive positive result for methamphetamine. Below the surveillance system was a black safe. Inside the safe were two pill bottles, a digital scale, two explosive devices with a fuse.”
The complaint states that one of the prescription bottles had Smith’s name on it and was for hydrocodone. The complaint also details that “the two explosive devices were both taped with black electrical tape and had a short fuse coming out of the devices. The explosive devices were secured by an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician.”
Ammunition Inside the Trailer
Also found inside the stolen trailer during APD’s search was A gray storage container. According to the complaint, the container “contained a large amount of ammunition and rifle magazines, including 28 fourteen AR 15 style magazines loaded with live ammunition. One of the magazines was a high capacity .22 caliber drum magazine loaded with .22 caliber rounds of live ammunition. In the bottom of the grey container were various rounds of live ammunition, including 9mm caliber, .223 caliber, .38 caliber, and .45 caliber. One of these rounds of live ammunition was a Federal .38 caliber Special.”
An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reviewed the Federal .38 caliber Special round. This agent’s training allowed them to identify this ammunition as having been manufactured outside of the State of Washington.
In 2006 Jason Smith was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and was sentenced to 84 months. It is because of these past convictions that Smith was arrested by complaint and charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition.
On Monday a joint motion was filed(read the full motion), requesting time to indict be extended by 60-days. Considering the points of the motion, the court granted the motion. If granted, the new indictment deadline would be September 26, 2019.
FBI in Auburn in July, Too
Gryz confirmed that on July 10th “the FBI was engaged in court-authorized law enforcement activity [at a home on 110th Pl SE]. The investigation is ongoing, so I cannot provide any additional information. There is no threat to public safety at this time.”
According to Gryz, these two incidents are not connected.
The Auburn Examiner investigated these incidents by receiving tips from readers. If you see something or hear of something you think should be investigated, be sure to email or text us: tips@auburnexaminer.com or 253-
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