Home-invasion robbery crew led crime spree victimizing families from South King County to Skagit County
Seattle – One of the members of an armed robbery crew that carried out a series of home invasion robberies in 2022, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 25 years in prison for racketeering and conspiracy to commit RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Christopher Joseph Johnson, 24, aided and abetted the murder of Irah Marcello Sok who was fatally shot in midst of a Snohomish County home invasion robbery in August 2022. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “You used violence, fear, and intimidation… The victims face unthinkable trauma due to you and your coconspirators insatiable greed.”
“This crime ring terrorized people up and down the I-5 corridor – women, children, families – anyone they thought had valuables they could steal,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This lengthy sentence keeps this defendant off the streets until he is well into his 40’s, protecting the public and hopefully making a change in his behavior.”
“Throughout the summer of 2022, Mr. Johnson and his co-conspirators conducted a series of terrifying and destructive home invasions, stopping at nothing in pursuit of their ill-gotten gains, including murder, kidnapping, and other violence,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is heartbreaking that these victims endured these horrific experiences, and no sentence will ever undo the harm or bring back a loved one. Today, however, justice has been served thanks to the hard work of multiple agencies joining together on this case. FBI Seattle and our partners will continue to work relentlessly to hold those responsible for these violent crimes to account.”
Johnson pleaded guilty in February 2026, admitting he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by codefendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and their co-conspirators. In the summer of 2022, Johnson and his coconspirators targeted certain families for robberies. To create a climate of fear, the robbery crew burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black with guns drawn, often claiming to be police. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as nine. They would steal any valuables they could ransack from these homes.
Each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: identifying potential victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling the target homes; serving as a driver; kicking in the door; corralling the family; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of those participating in this violent robbery scheme were juveniles.
The crimes Johnson committed include:
- May 24, 2022, the armed robbery of a family in Mount Vernon, Washington, and the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
- May 24, 2022, attempted burglary on Mercer Island – one robber fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the house.
- May 27, 2022, burglary of an unoccupied Kent, Washington, residence.
- June 19, 2022, the attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One of the residents fired at the robbery crew causing them to flee.
- July 14, 2022, the armed robbery of a couple in Burien, Washington.
- July 28, 2022, the armed robbery of a woman in Kent, Washington, and her kidnapping to force her to obtain cash from ATMs.
- August 12, 2022, the robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
- August 19, 2022, the Snohomish County armed robbery of a couple and their child and the murder of one of the Snohomish County robbery victims.
Some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement were not formally charged. They were considered by Judge King to determine the sentence. Restitution for the victims will be set at a hearing on September 22, 2026.
As anticipated with the plea agreement, Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the August 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok. He was sentenced to 25 years for that crime which will run concurrent with the federal sentence. Judge King agreed to Johnson’s request and recommended that he serve his sentence in the Washington State Prison system.
In recommending the 25-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “…(D)uring the course of approximately six months, Johnson and others committed a series of violent offenses across Western Washington, including home invasion robberies, kidnappings, and murder. Johnson willingly involved himself in the enterprise and actively participated in the efforts of the enterprise, which used violence and the threat of violence to coerce victims into yielding to their demands.”
Johnson will be on five years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Kent Police Department, and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Brian Wynne are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michael Lang worked closely with the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office on investigating and charging this case.
Contact
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Communications Director Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov.
