Alaska State Troopers arrested a 36-year-old Kasilof resident on Thursday after a police chase on a residential property that troopers say began when they contacted him to serve a federal warrant.
A Friday dispatch from Alaska State Troopers says that Frank Bush was wanted for a “federal firearms arrest warrant” and that the Thursday visit was their second attempt to arrest Bush, following another incident on April 30 when he “recklessly eluded” troopers and caused minor damage to a patrol car.
When troopers — based in Soldotna, Fairbanks and the Matanuska-Susitna Region — visited the Kasilof property, Bush was found hiding in a vehicle, according to troopers. The dispatch says he attempted to escape and struck multiple other vehicles and trees on the property before disabling his vehicle in a “densely wooded area.” Bush and a passenger, Selena Larson, 31, were arrested. Troopers say they’re still seeking Lance Kitchen, 32, who they say fled the scene.
Bush is charged with two counts of first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a police officer, a count of fifth-degree criminal mischief, a count of domestic violence reckless endangerment and three counts of third-degree assault on a police officer. Larson and Kitchen are both charged with first-degree hindering prosecution.
On Friday, excepting the new charges that arose from the Thursday arrest, no warrants like the one described in the dispatch were available and no other charges could be found in either state or federal databases.
Alaska State Troopers and the U.S. Attorney’s Office both declined to say on what charges the warrant served last week was issued. Troopers said Friday that original charges for the federal arrest warrant served this week are not attached to the document. The attorney’s office said Monday morning that all public information had already been published.
Monday evening, a new warrant request, dated for April 8, was filed to one of Bush’s federal cases, stemming from a 2017 case. It says that Bush was meant to be on supervised release starting in April, but failed to report.
According to previous Clarion reporting, Bush and two others were charged with kidnapping and assault after holding a man in the back of a pickup truck in Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof on in February 2017.
According to a plea agreement included in federal court records, Bush pleaded guilty only to the charge of felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 84 months in prison, which was later revised to 64 months. He was released in December 2022 and began three years of supervised release.
A separate warrant was issued for Bush on Jan. 30, 2023, after Washington-based probation officers said he failed to appear at two scheduled drug tests and moved out of his sister’s home in violation of conditions of supervision he was serving. That warrant was successfully returned in November, when Bush was arrested in Denton, Washington. An order was issued for his removal to Alaska on Nov. 21.
A criminal judgment filed in Alaska District Court on March 26 says that Bush pleaded guilty to seven charges connected to his January failure to show and was sentenced to “Time Served” and an additional 30 months of supervised release.
Federal documents say that Bush was ordered to be released and issued a taxi voucher in Anchorage on April 3.
The request for the second warrant says that after Bush was released in Anchorage, he was directed to the Cordova Residential Reentry Center. The warrant request says that Bush both failed to report to the center and failed to contact a probation officer. The warrant was approved the same day, April 8.
Bush faces two counts of first-degree failure to stop at the direction of a police officer, a count of fifth-degree criminal mischief, a count of domestic violence reckless endangerment and three counts of third-degree assault on a police officer. He was arraigned Friday, where bail was set at a $20,000 performance bond to be paid entirely in cash and a $20,000 appearance bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 13.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
