A Tillamook County, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Travis Edmond Samson, 40, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, on April 30, 2020, Tillamook Police Department officers responded to a report of Samson, who had three active arrest warrants, slashing the tires of a minivan parked at a motel in Tillamook. Shortly after the officers arrived on scene, Samson exited the motel’s office and approached the officers. The officers attempted to place Samson under arrest, but he resisted and began reaching for his back pants pocket. The officers managed to subdue Samson and located a loaded .25 caliber handgun in his back pants pocket.
On April 13, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Samson with felon in possession of a firearm. On September 20, 2021, he pleaded guilty to the single charge. This case was investigated by the Tillamook Police Department with assistance from the FBI and ATF. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassady A. Adams.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
