Road rage driver sentenced to 7+ years in prison for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition

Press Release

Defendant on federal supervision for gun crimes, shoots at other driver, lies at trial, and has wife testify falsely to try to avoid accountability

Seattle - A 42-year-old King County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 90 months in prison for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Robby Lee Robinson was convicted in October 2023 following a four-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Robinson, "You turned a car accident into a dangerous situation for all the people around you on that highway."

"Mr. Robinson grabbed a gun and started shooting at another driver on a busy highway - conduct that could have killed or injured others," said U.S. Attorney Gorman. "Despite prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms, he continues to get guns and is willing to use them. Then he lies about his conduct to police and on the witness stand. Such conduct merits a lengthy prison term."

According to records filed in the case, just after 10:00 PM on November 8, 2022, a victim called 9-1-1 reporting that he had been involved in an accident and now the other driver was chasing and shooting at him. The incident occurred on the southbound lanes of Highway 18. After about five minutes, the driver was able to get away from the car Robinson was driving and reported to police that it appeared the car had exited the highway.

King County Sheriff's deputies were able to locate the car with the shooter and followed it to Maple Valley where the driver, Robinson, finally stopped the vehicle and surrendered. In the car, police found two firearms, ammunition, and shell casings.

At trial, Robinson and his wife claimed the guns belonged to her and that Robinson did not know the guns were in the car. Robinson was alone in the car at the time of the incident. He testified that he felt threatened following the collision, and then described how he chased after the driver and repeatedly fired the gun he found on the floor of the car at the taillights of the other driver. The bullets broke a window on the victim car, and law enforcement recovered bullet fragments in the vehicle.

In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, prosecutors highlighted Robinson's refusal to respect the law, and that he had committed this new crime while on supervised release. "Despite being convicted of this same offense (illegal firearms possession) and serving a 90-month sentence, Robinson was not deterred. He again possessed firearms and ammunition, and he again used them-this time to shoot at a random person driving on the road. The fact that no one was killed was sheer luck. And once again, Robinson sought to subvert the judicial process by committing perjury while testifying at trial and by suborning perjury by seeking to have his wife lie on his behalf to cover up his criminal conduct," prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.

"Mr. Robinson knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms," said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. "Yet, he turned to a firearm and used it in an act of violence in this case. We will vigorously investigate all those who are prohibited from possessing firearms and yet still do so, especially when they use firearms in violent acts."

"The King County Sheriff's Office is working tirelessly to remove illegal firearms from our streets," said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. "I'm grateful for the continued support we've received from the United States Department of Justice and other local law enforcement agencies to hold these individuals accountable for their dangerous actions. Together, we are working to make our communities and our residents safer."

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF), the Washington State Patrol, and King County Sheriff's Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Rachel Yemini.

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Updated April 17, 2024