Jury finds Idaho man guilty of unlawfully possessing firearms

MISSOULA - An Idaho man who was accused of unlawfully possessing stolen firearms was found guilty by a federal jury Tuesday, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Following a two-day trial, Jeremy Thomas Sepanski, 44, was found guilty of unlawfully possessing a firearm. Sepanski faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for Feb. 5, 2027. Sepanski was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Sepanski was barred from possessing firearms after convictions for multiple felonies between 2007 and 2025. In late August 2025, Sepanski, driving a blue Toyota sedan, stopped and talked to a man hosting a yard sale near Lima. He asked the man about staying in an outbuilding on his property and the man said yes. A few days later, the man noticed a number of his belongings, including his firearms, were missing from his property and that Sepanski was gone.

On Aug. 31, a motorcyclist pulled over to the side of the interstate near Monida to stretch his legs when he was approached by Sepanski in his blue Toyota sedan. Sepanski asked the motorcyclist if he wanted to buy some guns. The man was interested and the two drove to a nearby gas station so that the motorcyclist could get some cash. Before the man could pay Sepanski, Sepanski disappeared and left three pistols in the luggage rack of the man's motorcycle. A Beaverhead County Sheriff's deputy was at the gas station, so the motorcyclist reported what had happened to the deputy and handed over the firearms.

At some point on the same day, a woman driving near Lima approached an intersection when she saw a blue sedan run the stop sign. She honked at the car and continued on her way. The next day, she saw the same blue car follow her around, eventually driving by her house multiple times and then pulling into her driveway that evening. The woman's husband walked out of the house with a rifle, telling the driver to leave. The driver, who was later identified as Sepanski, told the husband he also had guns and showed him a pistol. Sepanski left and the couple called 911 to report what happened.

Shortly after, Sepanski, in his blue Toyota sedan, was spotted by a Beaverhead County Sheriff's deputy, who attempted to pull him over. Sepanski sped off, leading the deputy on a chase until his car was ultimately disabled and Sepanski was arrested. Afterward, another Lima resident approached deputies and reported that Sepanski had also come to his house and showed him various guns.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.