Drug deal gone bad leads to prison
SPOKANE VALLEY – A Spokane man has pleaded guilty in connection with a 2022 robbery in Spokane Valley.
Christopher Bruce Gooch, 46, of Spokane, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to robbery affecting commerce, court records show.
U.S. Senior District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Gooch to four years in prison to be followed by three years of probation, records show. When imposing the sentence, Peterson noted Gooch’s lifelong criminal history beginning at age 11.
According to court documents, on the night of Aug. 2, 2022, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents were conducting surveillance of suspected drug traffickers at the Oxford Suites. During that surveillance, just before midnight, agents saw a suspected drug trafficker arrive at the motel carrying multiple duffle bags.
A short time later, agents observed a van arrive in the motel parking lot, records show. A man, later identified as Dominic Shears, got out of the van and entered the front door of the motel.
Shears then opened a side door to the motel and two other men, later identified as Christopher Gooch and Christopher Jones, got out of the van and went into the motel through the now open side entrance, records show. A few minutes later, the three men left through the side door carrying what appeared to be the same duffle bags.
Around the same time, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the motel reporting that a guest had been robbed at gunpoint, records show. The caller also told Sheriff’s Office deputies that three suspects with masks left the motel in a van.
Believing the suspected drug trafficker may have been the victim of the robbery, agents followed the van and advised deputies and Spokane police that law enforcement was following those believed to be involved in the robbery, records show. Police joined in the pursuit, and when the van reached downtown Spokane, the driver of the van briefly stopped and both Gooch and Jones got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.
Jones was carrying a duffle bag as he attempted to flee, records show. Ultimately, both men were apprehended.
Inside the duffle bag, police recovered approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 400 grams of fentanyl-laced pills and 150 grams of heroin, records show.
Police detained Gooch and Jones, while another unit attempted to stop on the van, which Shears was driving, records show. Instead of stopping, Shears sped up, crash the van and started shooting at police while trying to climb out of the van’s windshield.
Police returned fire, killing Shears, records show.
Court records show Shears was a customer of the suspected drug trafficking law enforcement was watching.
Shears placed a large order with the supplier, intending to rob the supplier, records show. He then recruited Jones, who in turn recruited Gooch, to help with the robbery.
When they arrived at the motel, all three men donned ski masks, records show. Gooch remained in the hall, while Jones and Shears entered the supplier’s motel room and demanded the drugs. Shears had a black, semi-automatic firearm, which he put to the supplier’s head.
Jones and Shears then grabbed two duffle bags from the room and left, records show. A woman in the room was able to escape, run down the hall and alert hotel staff.
Jones pleaded guilty to one count of robbery affecting commerce May 2 and was sentenced to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of probation, records show.
“This case represents a stark example of the violence associated with these illicit activities,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard said. “The actions of the defendants in this case unnecessarily put all the individuals at the motel at great risk of harm.”
“This is a well-deserved sentence,” ATF Seattle Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan T. McPherson said. “Mr. Gooch’s actions, along with those of his co-criminals, put the lives of area residents in great danger.”
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, columnist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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