Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant John Thomas Donnafield, age 44, from Ordot, Guam was sentenced to 115 months imprisonment. He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Five Grams or more of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The Court also ordered four years of supervised release and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.On December 5, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Donnafield’s residence. He was found in his bedroom, where he directed officers to a black Sentry safe containing drugs and a firearm. He provided keys to the container and admitted that the black box held several grams of methamphetamine and a firearm, while additional items in the bedroom were drug paraphernalia. Officers also noted a surveillance system monitoring the home’s exterior.A search of the bedroom resulted in the seizure of $1,786 in U.S. currency, identified as proceeds of unlawful drug activity. Cash was recovered from multiple locations, including a silver suitcase, a portable table, the Sentry safe, and a plastic chair. Officers also seized digital scales and additional drug‑distribution materials.Seven Ziplock bags of suspected methamphetamine were collected from the Sentry safe. After testing by the DEA Southwest Laboratory, the Ziplock bags were found to contain 42.8 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride at 95% purity. A stolen 9mm Beretta pistol, loaded with a magazine containing five rounds of ammunition, was also recovered from the safe. Forty-four additional rounds of ammunition were found in the bedroom.Donnafield is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions. His record includes a 2012 federal conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, for which he received 27 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He also has a 2016 Guam Superior Court conviction for third‑degree felony family violence, which resulted in a mandatory one‑year sentence.“Drugs and firearms are a dangerous combination for our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Armed drug traffickers are prime targets for federal prosecution. The possession of a single round of ammunition by a felon can result in substantial penalties. I applaud the outstanding work by GPD and ATF in bringing this defendant to justice.”This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Guam Police Department Special Investigation Section, and Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency.Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Devarup Rastogi in the District of Guam.This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice