JUNEAU – A Juneau man was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess to six and a half years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents, Clyde Edward Pasterski, Jr., 42, possessed 13 firearms, one of them being stolen, and eight seal bombs when Juneau Police Department (JPD) executed a search warrant in May 2020 at his residence. Pasterski was previously convicted of two felonies by the State of Alaska and therefore is not allowed to own or have firearms in his possession. Law enforcement also found a ballistic vest carrier with steel plate inserts and more than two grams of methamphetamine and four grams of heroin. Pasterski actively resisted and fought against the JPD officers at his home and then during his interview at JPD. When he was informed that he was being arrested, Pasterski tried to grab the officer’s gun which was secured in the officer’s holster.
“Illicit drugs and guns are a dangerous combination, especially when those guns are possessed by a convicted felon,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Our office will continue to partner with federal, state and local agencies to keep firearms out of the wrong hands.”
“Mr. Pasterski knew he was not allowed to have firearms, but rather than follow the law he chose to procure and possess at least 13 more of them,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “His actions during and after his arrest show how dangerous he is to the community, so this sentence is well earned.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Juneau Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
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.
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