A Fairbanks man, George Moises Romero Jr, has been found guilty of firearms offenses by a federal jury in Alaska. The conviction includes charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and a violent felon in possession of body armor, concluding a trial that lasted three days.
Court records revealed that Romero, 37, was previously convicted in 2006 on charges of murder in the second degree, robbery in the second degree, and assault in the third degree by the Anchorage Superior Court. He was handed a 24-year prison sentence but was granted discretionary parole, allowing his release in 2019.
In June 2024, a warrant for Romero's arrest was issued due to a parole violation. The Fairbanks Area Criminal Suppression Unit was tasked with finding him. Authorities sought real-time location data from Romero's phone to assist in his apprehension. Romero managed to evade initial surveillance, moving to a new location in the Goldstream Valley before being tracked down.
Two days after the warrant was issued, Alaska State Troopers utilized a helicopter equipped with advanced cameras to locate Romero's vehicle. After surveillance, Romero was seen being dropped off at a wooded area with camping gear. Troopers arrested him as he tried to enter the woods. They discovered he was wearing body armor and had two loaded firearms, along with additional ammunition on him. A third firearm and more ammunition were found in the duffle bag Romero carried.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, along with members of several law enforcement agencies, including Alaska State Troopers, the FBI Anchorage Field Office, and the ATF Seattle Field Division, announced the conviction.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), FBI Anchorage Field Office, and ATF Anchorage Field Office. The charges are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek and Antitrust Division trial attorneys David Bernhardt and Lauren Weed.