College Place man sentenced to 16 years in federal drug case | Courts and crime

A College Place man will serve a 16-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to several crimes, according to a news release from the Eastern District of Washington from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Rex Michael Kern Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

Kern will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Mary K. Dimke.

“Drug dealers like Mr. Kern perpetuate the cycle of substance abuse disorders and fatal overdoses by trafficking dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods,” said United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “I thank all members of our law enforcement team who work hand-in-hand with my office to keep our communities safe and combat the spread of illicit narcotics.

These cases were investigated by the Walla Wala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The press release was published Friday May 31.

“Criminals know they’re not supposed to own guns,” said federal agent Jonathan Blais. “Not only did Mr. Kern fail to learn from his previous conviction, he compounded this situation by trafficking drugs while possessing firearms. Hopefully this sentence will finally send him the message that he needs to change his actions.

According to the press release, Kern was arrested by WWPD officers in February 2022 while driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Spokane County.

After obtaining a warrant to search the vehicle, officers recovered two firearms, a small amount of cocaine, half a pound of marijuana, nearly a pound of methamphetamine, two digital scales containing drug residue and 2 $700 in cash inside the vehicle, according to The Release.