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SALT LAKE CITY -- Federal prosecutors say they're reducing gun and gang violence in Utah. It's part of Project Safe Neighborhoods -- a task force made up of federal, state and local law enforcement.
"Our message is clear to the criminals: gun crime is going to mean hard time," says Assistant U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber.
Federal prosecutors say an initiative to target crimes involving guns and gangs in Utah is making headway.
In 2009, prosecutors filed charges against 170 people in Utah. Most of the defendants were restricted under federal law from having a firearm; 35 people were charged for having a gun during violent or drug trafficking crimes.
"There is a serious problem out there, and we see it in the news every day and every week," Huber says.
One such case involved the Dubarrys, who made committing crime a family affair. In August, prosecutors announced indictments against 19-year-old Shawn Dubarry, his father, Mark, and mother, Nicole. Authorities say they robbed several Rite Aid stores for OxyContin.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Nicole Dubarry committed suicide in jail. In January, her husband was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Her son will spend nine years behind bars.
"This concerns us that there are still these number of people who have no business possessing a firearm and are out there committing crimes," Huber says.
Project Safe Neighborhoods has been active for 10 years and targets cases related to domestic violence, convicted felons with guns and those who lie when buying a firearm.
"When we have people like convicted felons, career criminals, drug dealers who possess firearms -- all that is a formula for disaster," Huber says.
Federal prosecutors say this task force is very aggressive and it prosecutes just as many people as some bigger cities. Twelve indictments have been returned so far this year under this initiative.
E-mail: syi@ksl.com
