PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A felon whose pistol was used in the February 2016 slaying of an Oregon police sergeant was sentenced Monday to 12 years in federal prison.
Jamie Lee Jones, 45, apologized at the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, saying never in his wildest imagination did he think his actions would play a role in the killing of Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Goodding.
“It’s a nightmare that haunts me every day,” he said. “My heart goes out to the family, it truly does.”
Jones pleaded guilty in December to gun-and-drug charges not tied to Goodding’s death. Other charges were dismissed in a plea agreement, including allegations that he threatened witnesses to keep them from cooperating with investigators after Goodding was shot underneath his ballistic vest while trying to make an arrest in downtown Seaside.
Goodding’s fellow officer returned fire, killing Phillip Ferry, a 55-year-old transient and drug user.
Investigators linked the gun to Jones by happenstance the following morning. Police responded to Jones’ house on a noise disturbance and noticed a round of ammunition on the ground. It was the same brand used to kill Goodding.
Prosecutors said Ferry stole the gun while Jones was sleeping. When Jones awoke, he became enraged after noticing the pistol was gone as well as some methamphetamine. He punched a drug customer and fired a gun in the direction of several others.
In seeking a sentence of less than 12 years, defense attorney Gerald Needham said Jones had a rough childhood that included an emotionally distant father, a mother left disabled by a suicide attempt and the suicides of two grandparents.
“Not to say that this is an excuse,” Needham said. “It’s just information for this court to make a proper judgment about Mr. Jones.”
Moreover, Needham argued his client only had 20 grams of methamphetamine, and the case might not have reached federal court except for the death of the police officer.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon reminded Needham that drug cases are treated differently when they include violence and felons in possession of a firearm.
“I appreciate that you were not the one that caused the death of the heroic law-enforcement officer - not directly - but your possession of a firearm did lead to the death of Sgt. Goodding,” Simon told the defendant.
Jones was born in Las Vegas and has an extensive criminal record in Nevada, including convictions for grand larceny auto, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon, attempted possession of stolen property and escape.
After spending most of his adult life in prison, he moved to the Oregon Coast to get a fresh start. Jones said he found a job and was turning his life around before relapsing into his drug habit.
“As soon as I sprinkled meth onto my dream, it became a nightmare,” he said.
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