Pocatello man sentenced to federal prison for discharging firearm during robbery
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – A Pocatello man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for the discharge of a firearm during a robbery that occurred on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation on June 23, 2021.
According to court records, 41-year-old Jose Acosta, Jr. entered a camping trailer and demanded money from a female occupant. The victim refused and fought with Acosta. During the struggle, Acosta fired a pump-action .22 caliber rifle multiple times. The female victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital. Acosta fled the scene after the shooting and was arrested the next day after an extensive manhunt.
On Oct. 4, 2022, Senior District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Acosta to a mandatory term of 10 years in federal prison. Acosta was also ordered to serve a term of five years of supervised release once his sentence is completed.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho, made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Fort Hall Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bingham County Sherriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the other assisting local agencies which led to charges.
