On October 16, 2013, some folks in northern Stevens County returned from vacation to discover that their home had been ransacked. They discovered that items of personal property with a value in excess of $5,000 had been taken.  Among the stolen items were firearms, tools and a tractor

Law enforcement officers were able to follow tire marks that had been created by the tractor to another residence nearby.  A search warrant was executed at the home and items that belonged to the victims were recovered.  Through several interviews of persons living where the search warrant was executed, it was determined that an individual by the name of Ryder Chronic had been involved in the burglary and theft of property from the home.  Ryder Chronic had been previously prosecuted and convicted of felonies in Stevens County.  Mr. Chronic was charged with multiple offenses connected to his involvement in the burglary.  Other persons are being prosecuted as well

On June 10, 2014 Judge Nielsen accepted guilty pleas from Mr. Chronic for the offenses of Theft in the First Degree, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, two counts of Theft of a Firearm and two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree. Deputy Prosecutor Lech Radzimski represented the state and urged that the court sentence Mr. Chronic to 10 years in prison. The victims also addressed the court and told the judge about the impact this event had on their life.  They also supported the recommendation that Mr. Chronic serve 10 years in prison.  Colville attorney Michael Golden represented Mr. Chronic.  Mr. Chronic and his attorney requested that the court sentence him to a Prison Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative.  (commonly called a SOSA)  Such a sentence would have resulted in reduced prison time followed by probation

The sentence in this case was affected by a part of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981.  That was the year the legislature passed the “Hard Time for Armed Crime Act.”  This law increased the amount of punishment that can be ordered in cases in which a convicted felon is found to be in possession of stolen firearms.  The law requires the court to impose consecutive sentences for each firearm. In another case controlled by this Act, where multiple guns were stolen by a convicted felon and found in his possession, Judge Monasmith was required under the Act to impose a sentence of 127.5 years.  That case is under appeal at the present time, but the sentencing scheme imposed by the Hard Time for Armed Crime Act has been upheld by the Appeals court many times. Mr. Radzimski handled that case as well.