Nome Man Sentenced To 42 Months in Federal Prison for Federal Firearms Offense

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced Stephen Brooker Sherman, 36, of Nome has been sentenced U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

According to court documents, on January 5, 2020, a concerned citizen called Nome Police Department (NPD) and reported his neighbors were having a domestic dispute and multiple gunshots had been fired. A second citizen called NPD and reported shots fired in the same area. Police responded, and discovered Sherman intoxicated, sitting naked on a bed with a loaded Ruger SR22 .22 caliber handgun next to him and a Ruger P345 .22 caliber handgun on the floor. Police also located a Savage Model 62 .22 caliber rifle, 23 rounds of .308 ammunition, 83 rounds of .357 and .38 ammunition, 30 rounds of .22 ammunition and 371 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in the residence. Sherman has prior felony convictions for criminally negligent homicide and assault and was on probation at the time of the offense. Based on his prior convictions, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.     

Sherman was sentenced to 42 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Judge Beistline emphasized Sherman’s criminal history, the seriousness of the offense and the need to protect the public. A petition to revoke probation remains pending in state court.  

The Nome Police Department (NPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Doty.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/about-project-guardian