EUGENE, Ore. — A 35-year-old Southern Oregon man with a long criminal record is headed to federal prison for more than 13 years after Bend police pulled him over and found a small arsenal of drugs and a loaded 9mm firearm. Christopher Michael Soares was sentenced today to 160 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The arrest went down on June 28, 2016, when officers stopped Soares during a traffic stop in Bend. He wasn’t alone — two others were riding with him. But the real shock came during the search. Cops found 99 grams of methamphetamine and 56 grams of heroin on Soares’ person, along with a loaded 9mm firearm tucked on his body. The haul was not for personal use — it screamed distribution.
Soares didn’t stay off the radar for long. Within months, he was arrested three more times in Jackson County, racking up additional state-level drug and firearms charges. By September 2016, federal prosecutors had filed a criminal complaint tied to the Bend incident. Soares eventually pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine — a charge that carried serious federal time.
With both state and federal charges piling up, a global resolution was negotiated. Prosecutors from Jackson County and the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked out a deal to settle all pending cases against Soares at once. The agreement ensured he would face the full weight of the law across jurisdictions, with no loose ends.
The investigation was a joint operation involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Bend Police Department, Medford Police Department, and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The collaboration highlights the multi-agency effort increasingly used to target repeat violent offenders in high-crime corridors across Oregon.
The case was prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). The Justice Department’s signature violent crime initiative focuses enforcement on the most dangerous offenders while pairing law enforcement action with community-based prevention and reentry programs. In Soares’ case, PSN ensured a swift, coordinated takedown — and a sentence that reflects the threat he posed on the streets.
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Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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