The U.S. Department of Justice has taken an interest in the quality of life in rural Alaska and is pointing to the indictments of two men from Bethel on federal weapons charges as evidence that it's serious about it. Charles Chaney, 26, and Alexie Alfred, 23, already faced state charges for stealing a police car in December 2009, during which witnesses reportedly saw them drive it to a frozen river, where, with lights and sirens running, they spun doughnuts and fired off shots, according to the broadcast station KYUK.
But the mess they got themselves into just got a whole lot bigger. On Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Anchorage announced that the men, who are both convicted felons with long rap sheets, will also have to answer for themselves in federal court.
"These individuals are being prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska's Rural Prosecution Initiative, a part of the Department of Justice's commitment to improved public safety for rural Alaska and Alaskan tribal communities," according to a prepared statement about the federal indictments.
Chaney and Alfred are charged with two federal crimes: being felons in possession of a short-barreled rifle, and with not being the registered owners of the firearm. If found guilty they each face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com