Federal jury convicts Twin Falls man, who shot at police officer, on gun and drug charges
Published at | Updated at
The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
BOISE — U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced that a federal jury convicted Jesus Javier Malagon, 31, of Twin Falls, of unlawfully possessing firearms as a felon, possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking crime.
Malagon was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 14, 2018. The trial began on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, and concluded on Friday evening when the jury returned their verdicts.
Malagon’s case stemmed from a traffic stop on Jan. 30, 2018, in Shoshone. Malagon fled from the traffic stop and a high-speed pursuit with police ensued. Malagon eventually crashed his vehicle.
When a police officer approached Malagon after the crash, Malagon shot a 9-millimeter handgun at the police officer. The officer immediately returned fire, striking Malagon multiple times. Malagon suffered non-life threatening injuries from the shooting. A subsequent search of Malagon’s vehicle yielded the 9-millimeter handgun, an additional .38 caliber revolver, multiple pounds of marijuana and other items showing that Malagon was distributing marijuana. Malagon was a felon and therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. His prior felony conviction was for manufacturing marijuana.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 9 before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. The crime of unlawful possession of firearms by a felon is punishable by up to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. The crime of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, as enhanced by Malagon’s prior marijuana manufacturing conviction, is punishable by up to ten years in prison and at least four years of supervised release. The crime of using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum of ten years, and up to life in prison, which must be served consecutively to all other sentences, and up to five years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Shoshone City Police Department, Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, and the Critical Incident Task Force, which included Idaho State Police, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, and the Twin Falls Police Department.