David Allen Vickers, 53, of Yakima, Washington, has been sentenced to 150 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian also ordered that Vickers serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
Court records show that between 1991 and 2020, Vickers was convicted of several crimes, including Driving under the Influence, Residential Burglary, Assault in both the third and fourth degrees, Conspiracy to Deliver Marijuana, Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Obstruction, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Forgery.
In 2020, Vickers faced new state charges for Residential Burglary, Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle, and Third Degree Assault. On May 17, 2023, he entered into a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (SOSA) program as part of resolving those charges.
On June 21, 2023 while under state community custody supervision related to these offenses, officers from the Yakima Police Department found Vickers asleep behind the wheel on the roadway. Officers believed he was intoxicated and asked him to perform a field sobriety test. As he exited his vehicle an officer saw what appeared to be Vickers tossing a gun into the backseat. After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle police found a loaded firearm in the rear seat and discovered several pills in his pocket. A background check revealed an extensive criminal history and an active arrest warrant due to violations of his SOSA program.
On September 12, 2023 a federal Grand Jury indicted Vickers for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He pleaded guilty on July 29, 2025 but was released over government objection; within three weeks he removed his GPS monitoring device and fled. The United States Marshals Service arrested him in early August 2025 in Western Washington.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano commented: “It is well established that law-abiding American citizens have a Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Law-abiding citizens who own firearms are often fierce advocates for gun safety and routinely support restricting dangerous felons from possessing firearms. Mr. Vickers is not such a person. He possessed illegal drugs and has more than 30 prior misdemeanor and/or felony convictions. His conduct makes him a danger to the community and has justifiably resulted in him being prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to defending all citizens’ rights under our Constitution, and to seeking appropriate accountability for individuals who pose a danger to the community.”
Another statement issued noted: “Mr. Vickers’ criminal history is staggering, and his habitual disregard for the law shows he has not learned from his prior sentences. By holding offenders like Mr. Vickers accountable ATF our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are helping protect our communities and reinforcing that those who illegally possess firearms and endanger public safety will be held accountable.”
The case involved investigations by multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Yakima Police Department (YPD), Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC), and United States Marshals Service; it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Hanlon.
