Vancouver Man Sentenced To 77 Months In Federal Prison For Armed Robbery Of Drug Dealer In Portland

Portland, Ore. — A Vancouver, Washington man has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for his role in an armed robbery of a drug dealer in Portland, which ended in an exchange of gunfire outside an apartment complex on Hayden Island. Anthony James Pastorino, 43, was found guilty of interfering with commerce by robbery and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

According to court documents, Pastorino, acting on the instructions of his accomplice, Seth Kamaile Teig, 38, also of Vancouver, traveled to the apartment complex on Hayden Island in Portland in the early morning hours of September 30, 2021. At Teig’s direction, Pastorino waited outside the apartment complex to rob a known drug dealer. When the drug dealer arrived, Pastorino discharged his firearm and stole the drug dealer’s backpack. An exchange of gunfire occurred, and both Pastorino and the drug dealer were injured.

Officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to the scene and found 18 shell casings, a trail of blood, and Pastorino’s wallet. Later that day, a resident of the apartment complex found a handgun in some nearby bushes, which was later revealed to be the gun used by Pastorino during the robbery. A search of Pastorino’s phone revealed text messages in which Teig directed Pastorino during the robbery and provided information about their target.

On October 27, 2021, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations arrested Pastorino for his role in the robbery. Pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, the agents observed gunshot wounds on Pastorino’s arm and thighs.

On February 2, 2023, Pastorino pleaded guilty to using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On March 14, 2023, Teig was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for orchestrating the robbery.

The case was investigated by HSI and the Portland Police Bureau, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program that aims to reduce violent crime by focusing enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partnering with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.