SPOKANE, Wash. — 43-year-old Frederick Terrell is a felon with several domestic violence assault convictions. He's lost his right to have a gun.
But, in April 2022, he recorded a video of himself at a shooting range firing a weapon and sent to a woman he had harmed and threatened in the past.
KREM 2 was in federal court Tuesday when a judge sentenced Terrell to 51 months in prison, just over 4 years. The case is the first sentencing to result from the eastern district of Washington's "Safe homes, Safe community" initiative in Spokane.
"We want to send a strong message to individuals who are unlawfully possessing firearms and threatening family members, loved ones, and the community overall," U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref said. "Especially law enforcement who often respond to these instances that we will take a stand against domestic violence and unlawful possession of firearms."
Waldref says her office is working with local prosecutors and domestic violence advocates to identify the most dangerous offenders in the community facing state charges and bringing those cases to federal court.
"Generally, in deciding what are our federal cases, we look at what are the largest impactful cases that we can bring because federal charges often carry longer prison sentences, more robust federal supervised release conditions," Waldref said. "So, we can do a lot of good for the community in ensuring that we're bringing our cases, focusing on the most dangerous individuals in our community."
And just this afternoon, another violent offender learned he will spend the next 14 years in federal prison.
29-year-old Felipe Tapia-Perez fired a gun during a domestic violence incident. The bullet struck his four-year-old son in the head, killing him.
Perez was in the country illegally, and therefore not allowed to possess a firearm. During the incident, he also violated a domestic violence protective order.
While Perez and Terrell are among the first to be sentenced as a result of the initiative, they won't be the last.
"We're taking cases that can send a message that we will not stand for domestic violence abusers illegally possessing firearms in our community," Waldref said.
Waldref says a victim of domestic violence is five times more likely to be murdered when their abuser has access to a gun. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-7233.
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