Spokane man gets 25 years in federal prison for drug, gun convictions

A Spokane felon was sentenced Tuesday to a quarter century in federal prison after he was convicted of a drug charge and illegal possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Court Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Christopher A. Cain, 52, of Spokane, to 25 years after a jury found him guilty of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The newest charge, in which Cain was prosecuted as an armed career criminal, stemmed from a traffic stop when a Washington State Trooper saw both drugs and a gun in Cain’s car.

“Prosecuting drug-trafficking and firearms-related crimes continues to be a priority for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington,” acting U.S. Attorney Joe Harrington said in a news release. “In addition to mandatory terms of imprisonment for methamphetamine-trafficking offenses, previously convicted felons and violent felons should be aware that there are serious criminal penalties connected with possessing any firearm, ammunition and body armor.”