BOISE – A Greenleaf man pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and assaulting a federal officer.
According to court records, in March 2021, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) started investigating vandalism on U.S. Government Property in the Mann Creak Area. The vandalism included markings of “SAI,” which refers to the Sovereign Alliance of Idaho. The vandalism also included threats to federal employees. The USFS identified Erik Konrad Ehrlin, 33, of Greenleaf, Idaho, as a possible suspect. It was reported that Ehrlin was potentially carrying a firearm. Ehrlin was previously convicted of sexual abuse in the first degree in Oregon and cannot lawfully possess firearms.
On April 30, 2021, a USFS special agent and a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy contacted Ehrlin at a campsite in the Mann Creek Area. The deputy observed Ehrlin with a firearm in his possession. During the encounter, Ehrlin entered his truck, attempted to flee, and struck the USFS agent with a part of the truck. He was taken into custody shortly after. In Ehrlin’s campsite, law enforcement located a semi-automatic rifle and in Ehrlin’s truck, law enforcement located a 9mm handgun.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a search warrant for Ehrlin’s residence in Greenleaf, where agents located a journal with references to the Sovereign Alliance of Idaho. The journal also contained a “Sovereign Citizen’s Oath.” Agents also located two additional firearms, a .22 caliber rifle and a .22 caliber revolver.
Ehrlin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison for the firearm charge and one year in prison for the assault. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Forest Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, which led to charges.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is 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.
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