Meth & Mayhem: Bounds Faces Life Behind Bars

COEUR D’ALENE, ID – Christopher William Bounds, 37, of Lind, Washington, is staring down the barrel of a potential life sentence after a federal jury in Coeur d’Alene found him guilty on six serious federal charges. The conviction, announced today by U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis, slams the door on Bounds’ operation peddling poison into the Lewiston area.

The four-day trial laid bare the extent of Bounds’ criminal enterprise. Evidence presented showed that on August 15, 2018, detectives with the Quad Cities Drug Task Force were watching Bounds closely as he transported a significant quantity of methamphetamine and heroin across state lines from Washington. A hand-to-hand drug transaction was observed, leading to a traffic stop just outside Lewiston by a Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Deputy. The search of Bounds’ vehicle yielded a staggering haul: two pounds of pure methamphetamine, 490 grams of heroin, and a cache of sixteen firearms. The drugs alone were valued at over $32,000, a testament to the profit Bounds was making from misery.

But the drugs weren’t the only evidence damning Bounds. A forensic examination of his cell phone revealed connections to other drug traffickers already facing federal indictments in the Eastern District of Washington. This wasn’t a lone operator; Bounds was plugged into a larger, regional network. The jury clearly saw through the facade, finding him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute both substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm by both a felon and a drug addict.

The charges don’t stop there. Bounds was also convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, a conviction that carries a mandatory five-year consecutive sentence. This isn’t just about drugs; it’s about the dangerous combination of narcotics and firepower. He faces a potential sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison for the drug trafficking charges, and up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine for the firearm offenses, in addition to the mandatory five-year add-on. A potential $20,000,000 fine looms over the drug charges.

The successful prosecution was a collaborative effort, involving the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Clarkston Police Department, Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation – all members of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration also contributed significantly. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force tackles drug trafficking across a four-state area: Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, and Clarkston and Pullman, Washington.

This case was brought forth through the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency program designed to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. The OCDETF program, involving the FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service, provided crucial funding and resources. Sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2020, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye in Coeur d’Alene. Bounds can expect a long stay in federal prison, and a reckoning for the damage he inflicted on the community.