Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported Jessica Lilley’s first name and did not clearly describe the nature of the charge against her.

SALT LAKE CITY — A Roy couple has been sentenced to five years of supervised release each after pleading guilty to illegally handling large quantities of firearms and ammo. As a repeat felon, the husband is not allowed to have guns.

On May 13, 2021, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the home of Christopher and Jessica Lilley and seized seven semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, a revolver and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, according to a probable cause statement.

Because Christopher Lilley, 41, had a previous federal firearms offense on his record, the case was prosecuted in federal court by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and Jessica Lilley, 35, was charged with transfer of firearms and ammunition to a prohibited person, both felonies with potential 10-year prison terms.

According to federal prosecutors, Christopher Lilley has spent time in state and federal prisons and in 2011 was sentenced to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. They alleged that Jennifer Lilley bought the guns and ammo and allowed her husband to use them, knowing he was not legally allowed to have them.

Defense attorney Julie George successfully argued that the couple not be sent to prison. She said Christopher Lilley turned his life around after getting out of prison in 2014. He recovered from substance abuse issues and built a successful trade, including achieving a supervisory position. The couple and their children had a stable home before the trouble in 2021, she said.

“Christopher met Jessica in 2014 and he began the change from someone who used illegal substances, was on supervision and took little responsibility for his actions,” George wrote in a memo early in the case asking that the two be allowed to remain free pending trial. “Cognizant of his history, counsel believes that the 7 years of sobriety in combination of his lack of criminal record for that same time period shows that he is a manageable risk in the community.”

During the five years of supervised release, the couple must report regularly to the U.S. Probation Office.

As part of the plea bargain, the couple agreed not to oppose the government’s asset forfeiture action against the firearms and ammo that were seized by sheriff’s deputies.

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