Law | National

Tulalip Tribes man convicted for buying guns despite court order

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Raymond Lee Fryberg at the federal courthouse in Seattle, Washington, in April 2015. Photo by Craig Newcomb / KOMO / Twitter

Raymond Lee Fryberg Jr., a member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, was convicted on six gun charges in federal court on Tuesday.

Fryberg bought several guns at Cabela’s, a privately-owned company with a store on the reservation. Prior to every purchase, he signed a form stating that he was not subject to a domestic violence protection order that was issued by his tribe's court.

Still, each time Cabela's ran a background check, Fryberg came up clear because the order was never entered into a national criminal database. Tribes still lack direct access to the system although that is finally changing as the Obama administration moves to implement a key provision of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.

One of the guns acquired by Fryberg was used in a school shooting last October. Four young people lost their lives and a fifth was seriously injured. Fryberg's son, Jaylen, then turned the gun on himself.

Fryberg was found guilty of all six charges against him. The jury determined that he violated Title 18, Section 922 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits people who are the subject of domestic violence protection orders from obtaining firearms.

The law does not specifically mention tribal court orders. It merely states "a court order."

Get the Story:
Father of Marysville school shooter convicted of gun charges (The Seattle Times 9/30)
Marysville-Pilchuck shooter's father found guilty of gun charges (AP / KING 5 News 9/29)
Father of Washington state school shooter convicted on gun charges (Reuters 9/29)
Parents of MPHS victims react after shooter’s father found guilty of illegal gun possession (Q13 9/29)