Palmer Man Sentenced For Being A felon In Possession Of Loaded Gun

Anchorage, Alaska-U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a Palmer man has been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 16 months in prison for possessing a gun as a convicted felon.  

Jason Scott Freeland, 37, of Palmer, Alaska, previously pled guilty to possessing a loaded .45 caliber/.410 gauge Derringer pistol.  At the time that he possessed the firearm, Freeland had already amassed a felony record, including four convictions in 2001 for assault and misconduct involving a weapon.  He was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms at the time he was stopped by police.  Upon being released from prison, Freeland will be on supervised release for three years.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Courter, who prosecuted the case along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Bennett, Freeland was first encountered by police officers in the early morning hours of April 24, 2015.  At the time, Freeland was slumped over inside an SUV and appeared noticeably incoherent.  He had trouble locating the door handle of his vehicle, had difficulty producing his driver’s license, had slurred speech, and found it difficult to walk.   

When officers searched Freeland, they found a loaded pistol in his pants pocket along with a small amount of methamphetamine.  They also found a set of brass knuckles in another pants pocket.  Later blood tests revealed that Freeland was high on marijuana and methamphetamine. 

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Burgess raised concerns about Freeland’s past, calling the defendant dangerous and noting that he had to craft a sentence that protected the public from Freeland’s potentially violent behavior.  He also noted the seriousness of the offense and need for deterrence.  Freeland’s previous felony convictions stem from a 2001 incident in which Freeland fired a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol at both a house and a vehicle that he knew had people inside.

In announcing the sentence, Ms. Loeffler commended the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD), who investigated the case.