Ada County Prosecutor's Office

BOISE, ID (June 5, 2026) — Just three weeks after being sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole on unrelated charges, Isaiah Williams, 22, was sentenced today on two counts of Forcible Pe*******on with a Foreign Object, one count of R**e, and drug-related charges.

Honorable District Judge Lynn Norton sentenced Williams to 70 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 43 years.

The convictions stem from two separate trials involving two victims, both of whom met Williams through Snapchat in November 2024. In each case, Williams invited the victim to his apartment near Boise State University under the pretense of a casual visit. Once alone with his victims, Williams sexually assaulted them despite their repeated objections.

Williams was employed as a correctional officer with IDOC at the time of the assaults but falsely told victims he was a police officer.

The State argued Williams will continue to be a risk to the community if he’s ever released, saying this is not immaturity or bad coping skills but rather “predatory behavior.”

"The courage it took for these women to come forward and testify cannot be overstated,” said Jan Bennetts, Ada County Prosecutor. “Today's sentence, combined with the life sentence imposed three weeks ago, holds the defendant fully accountable and ensures the public is protected from him."

In the first sentencing on May 12, Williams received life in prison with no possibility of parole following convictions on Lewd and Lascivious Conduct, Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 16, Aggravated Assault, and other charges

Cases like this don't come together without exceptional detective work. The Ada County Prosecutor's Office is grateful to the Police Department Special Victims Unit and Violent Crimes Unit for their persistence across multiple investigations and multiple trials.

Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts was honored to participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Idaho yesterday, carrying the flame through downtown Boise to the steps of the Idaho State Capitol — side by side with a Special Olympics Idaho athlete.

There’s something so powerful and inspiring about partnering with these dedicated athletes and running together through the heart of this city. A meaningful tradition, and a wonderful day.

BOISE, ID (May 27, 2026) — Robert Ellis, 43, was sentenced by the Honorable District Judge Nancy Baskin to 10 years in prison with the possibility of parole after four years, following his guilty plea to two counts of Possession of a Bomb or Explosive Device.

On May 15, 2025, Boise Police officers discovered multiple suspected improvised explosive devices while serving a search warrant related to a narcotics investigation. A subsequent search of Ellis's home revealed additional devices in his bedroom. The Boise Police Bomb Squad confirmed the devices were indeed explosive, safely secured them, and transported them to a remote location where they were destroyed. At least 10 of the devices were equipped with fuses for detonation purposes.

Investigators also seized additional materials associated with making explosives. A search of Ellis's computer revealed more than 50 manuals downloaded from anarchist and military sources detailing how to construct explosive devices — including instructions on how to build grenades designed to kill police.

At sentencing Judge Baskin rejected the idea that Ellis made the devices for other purposes, such as to operate as exploding targets or fireworks, saying “If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck…it’s a duck.”

"The evidence made clear that the defendant knew exactly what he was building and what they were capable of," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. "The presence of detailed instructions — including materials targeting law enforcement — combined with the number and sophistication of these devices, made this an extraordinarily serious case."

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office commends the Boise Police Department Bomb Squad for its thorough and meticulous investigation, which was instrumental in bringing this case to resolution.

Today, we pause to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country.

Their sacrifice is the foundation of the freedoms we protect every day. We are grateful, and we will not forget.

BOISE, ID (May 22, 2026) — Devin Larson, 21, of Eagle, and Steen Thomas Lamb, 22, of Meridian, were sentenced today by the Honorable District Judge Nancy Baskin following guilty pleas to Second Degree Kidnapping.

Larson was sentenced to seven years in prison, with two years fixed and Lamb was sentenced to 13 years with three years fixed for the September 5, 2025 ambush of 18-year-old Jordan Carrillo. Both defendants also received a rider — a period of retained jurisdiction during which the court may review their sentences.

Through social media, Carrillo had arranged to meet a photographer to take pictures of his motorcycle. When he arrived at a subdivision under construction in Eagle, Larson was already on scene. After taking one photo, Larson directed Carrillo to turn his back — at which point Lamb appeared and tased him from behind. Both defendants bound his wrists and legs with zip ties, placed a bag over his body, and kicked and struck him repeatedly in the head and body. He was also tased multiple times.

During the hour-long attack, Carrillo said Lamb pressed what appeared to be a gun against his chest and told him he would be killed if he didn’t break up with his girlfriend. The defendants forced Carrillo to hand over his phone and used it to send text messages to the girlfriend ending the relationship.

Before releasing him, the defendants threatened to kill Carrillo, his sister, or other family members if he reported the attack to law enforcement. Carrillo rode away fearing he would be shot in the back.

"I commend the victim’s courage in reporting this crime given the death threats intended to silence him. This was a planned, calculated attack on a young man who had no idea what was coming," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. "The defendants used deception, violence, and fear to control their victim — and then threatened his family to ensure his silence. That kind of conduct demands accountability, and today's sentence delivers it."

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office is grateful for the collaborative efforts by the , , and the in their investigation of this case.

BOISE, ID (May 18, 2026) — Robert Johns, 65, was sentenced Friday by the Honorable District Judge James Cawthon to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct and Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 16.

Between 2017 and 2019, Johns repeatedly sexually abused two victims, ages five and six.

Johns has a criminal history spanning more than four decades, including prior felony convictions for grand theft, burglary, robbery, and Murder in the First Degree — for which he received an indeterminate life sentence.

At Friday's sentencing, the State argued that, dating back to 1979, Johns "has shown as clearly as he can that he does not belong in the community."

"These crimes, taken together with your history, are odious and abominable,” Judge Cawthon told Johns. He went on to note that the passage of time had not diminished his criminal conduct.

Judge Cawthon sentenced Johns to fixed life on Count I, with 25 years fixed concurrent on Counts II and III.

"The sentence imposed today reflects the gravity of what was done to these young children, and it ensures the defendant will never have the opportunity to harm another child." said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts.

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office commends the Ada County Sheriff's Office for its partnership and investigation in this case.

This week, Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts welcomed law enforcement & legal professionals from across the Indo-Pacific region to the Ada County Courthouse.

The group — representing Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam — visited Boise as part of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program, exploring how American prosecutors and law enforcement work together to combat transnational crime.

BOISE, ID (May 12, 2026) — Isaiah Williams, 22, was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole this morning by the Honorable District Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace following convictions in two separate cases.

Last fall, juries found Williams guilty of numerous charges including Lewd and Lascivious Conduct, Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 16, Aggravated Assault, Evidence Destruction, and Witness Intimidation.

In both cases, Williams targeted young victims, assaulted them, and took deliberate steps to prevent them from reporting the crimes.

In one case, dating back to 2022, Williams sexually abused a 15-year-old girl after luring her to his BSU dorm, providing alcohol, and isolating her in his bedroom. When a friend attempted to intervene, Williams physically removed her from the room and locked the door.

In a separate case from 2024, Williams strangled a 17-year-old girl inside his apartment, took her phone to prevent her from calling police, and told her that even if she reported the assault, no one would believe her because he was a cop — a claim that was false. Detectives later recovered video from Williams' phone confirming the strangulation.

“You are the type of person that every parent fears when they send their children off to college,” Judge Yee-Wallace told the defendant. “Very few people who come before me truly engage in predatory behavior, and you are one of them.”

This is a strong sentiment echoed by the Prosecutor’s Office.

“What this defendant did was predatory and deliberate,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “He chose his victims carefully – a child and a young woman who were targeted, assaulted, and told no one would believe them. The jury believed them…and this sentence reflects that and the seriousness of his conduct."

On June 5, Williams will be sentenced on additional felony convictions in a separate case involving multiple victims.

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office commends Boise Police Department Detectives, the Special Victims Unit, and the Violent Crimes Unit for their investigation across multiple years, multiple cases, and multiple victims.

Today, we honored the fallen.

Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts and Chief of Staff Holly Koole-Rebholtz joined Governor Brad Little, Ada County Sheriff's Office, and dozens of law enforcement officers from across Idaho for the annual Idaho Peace Officers' Memorial — a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by those who ran toward danger so others could be safe.

We will not forget.

BOISE, ID (April 30, 2026) — One day after National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Patrick Adam Smith, 48, was sentenced following his conviction on two counts of fentanyl trafficking.

The Honorable Ada County District Judge Nancy Baskin sentenced Smith to 20 years in prison, requiring him to serve a minimum of 10 years before being eligible for release on parole.

On February 21, 2025, Boise Police responded to a welfare check at a retail store after a caller reported a man slumped over in the driver's seat of a running vehicle. Officers arrived to find Smith unresponsive behind the wheel. When they opened the door, Smith woke up. Officers observed signs consistent with drug impairment and Smith did not pass field sobriety testing.

Inside a backpack, officers found a metal tumbler with a false bottom containing 48.2 grams of fentanyl powder and 152 blue pills. They also recovered a scale, a spoon and tweezers with white residue, and approximately $12,000 in cash.
Smith admitted purchasing and selling fentanyl.

"Yesterday was National Fentanyl Awareness Day — a reminder of the lives this drug has taken, and the families left behind, including in our own community," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “Today's sentence is a direct response to those who fuel that devastation. The defendant was not a casual user who made a bad decision. He was actively selling fentanyl in our community, and he will be held accountable for that."

The Ada County Prosecutor's Office commends the Police Department for its collaboration and investigation in this case.