An Anchorage man facing murder and manslaughter charges in state court has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on a federal weapons charge, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
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Clint Registe, 38, was sentenced after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, federal prosecutors said.
The federal charge came about after Registe was investigated for the shooting death of Brittney Sparks at his apartment on July 20, 2018. Police searched the apartment and found the rifle that killed Sparks plus three semi-automatic pistols, including one that was stolen. They also found ammunition and high-capacity magazines, prosecutors said.
Police arrested Registe weeks after Sparks’ death. Registe told investigators that he was handling a rifle as Sparks cleaned his apartment and the gun fired, striking Sparks in the head.
Registe had previously been convicted of felony assault and weapons possession. Judge Timothy Burgess said Registe's criminal history involved guns "over and over and over again." He said the 10-year sentence was necessary to protect the public.
Registe is represented in the state case by the Alaska Public Defender Agency, which did not respond immediately to a request for comment Tuesday.