‘No sentence will ever undo the harm’: Member of violent WA home-invasion crew gets 25 years in deadly spree

A member of an armed robbery crew that conducted a series of home invasion robberies in 2022 was sentenced to 25 years in prison for racketeering and conspiracy to commit Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Christopher Joseph Johnson, 24, aided and abetted in the murder of Irah Marcello Sok, who was fatally shot amid a Snohomish County home invasion robbery in August 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

“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.”

WA robbery group targeted families, restrained children as young as 9

In February 2026, Johnson pleaded guilty, admitting that he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by 29-year-old co-defendant Kevin Thissel and their co-conspirators.

In the summer of 2022, Johnson and the co-conspirators targeted certain families to carry out their robberies. To create fear among victims, the robbery group would burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in all black with guns drawn, and oftentimes claim to be law enforcement.

The group wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain victims, even children as young as nine. The suspects would then steal any valuables they could find within the homes.

“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.”

The DOJ noted that each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: Identifying potential victims through social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling potential homes; driving; kicking in the door; corralling the victims; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of the suspects participating in the robberies were juveniles.

Crime spree ranged from burglaries to kidnapping and murder across WA

A full list of the crimes Johnson committed includes:

• May 24, 2022: Armed robbery of a Mount Vernon family and the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
• May 24, 2022: Attempted burglary on Mercer Island, one suspect fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the residence.
• May 27, 2022: Burglary of an unoccupied Kent residence.
• June 19, 2022: Attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One resident fired at the suspects, causing them to flee.
• July 14, 2022: Armed robbery of a Burien couple.
• July 28, 2022: Armed Robbery of a Kent woman and her kidnapping to force her to retrieve cash from ATMs.
• August 12, 2022: Robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
• August 19, 2022: Armed robbery in Snohomish County of a couple and their child, and the murder of one of the Snohomish County robbery victims.

The DOJ noted some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement were not formally charged, but they were considered by U.S. District Judge Lauren King to determine the sentence. Restitution for the victims will be set during a hearing on Sept. 22.

On August 19, 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok and was sentenced to 25 years for that crime, which will run concurrently with the federal sentence. Johnson will also be on five years of supervised release following his prison term.

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