Whatcom County man sentenced for illegal possession of guns, explosives
A Whatcom County man was sentenced to over four years in prison Tuesday in Whatcom County Superior Court for illegally manufacturing explosives and guns on his property. He already served three years in detention at the Whatcom County jail, and with credit for good behavior, he will not actually spend any time in prison.
Robert Kent Chase, 62, was initially arrested in March 2018 along with another man for their alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting that nearly injured a teenager. Chase is a convicted felon who could not legally possess guns at the time of his arrest. Police found multiple firearms in his Lummi Reservation home.
While Chase was under investigation for the shooting, officials were led to believe that Chase had more materials at his residence related to illegal firearms and explosives.
The co-defendant in the shooting said that Chase had explosives hidden in the walls of his shed, according to court records. He said that Chase made the bombs to kill and hurt people involved in Tribal government.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Lummi Nation Police Department served another search warrant on Chase’s residence in partnership with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Investigators found “numerous” items used in the illegal manufacturing of machine guns, as well as more illegally-owned firearms.
Above the main door of the shed, agents found an improvised explosive device, or IED. It was a handmade red box with two strings, according to court documents, and it was found to be a charged explosive device that could be triggered with a pull switch inside the gun room of the shed. It also could have been set up with a trip wire on the main door.
Additionally, agents found a tennis ball filled with power with a large fuse and a rock taped to the outside. The rock would have acted as shrapnel, court records state. Another destructive device was identified as a ping pong ball with gunpowder and a shotgun shell inside of it covered in bullets as shrapnel.
Chase pleaded guilty to amended charges of attempted malicious placement of an explosive and unlawful possession of a firearm. Both are class C felonies.
Since his 2018 arrest, Chase has been arrested three additional times. Two involved alleged illegal possession of firearms and materials that indicated that he was building explosive devices again, as well as manufacturing drugs. These cases will be dismissed as part of Chase’s plea agreement.
Ryan Swinburnson, Chase’s defense attorney, said Chase understood that if he was arrested on similar charges again, it would be “tantamount to a life sentence.” Chase did not address the court.
Judge Lee Grochmal followed the agreed recommendation. Because Chase plans to move out of state, he will not be placed under community supervision.
This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM.