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Tankovich earns prison term for guns, not hatred

| August 11, 2010 7:18 AM

By KATHLENE KOLTS

Press correspondent

COEUR d’ALENE — A former California resident who stood trial for conspiracy to commit a hate crime this spring in Kootenai County was sentenced up to nine years in prison for possessing a firearm.

Three of the nine years for Ira G. Tankovich, 48, are to be fixed, with the remaining six indeterminate, 1st District Judge John Luster ruled on Tuesday.

In May, Tankovich pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and to misdemeanor obstruction for lying to police officers during an arrest outside a Puerto Rico man’s home near 20th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Coeur d’Alene.

The sentence was enhanced because Tankovich is a “persistent” felony violator, the judge ruled. The maximum sentence was life in prison, which was not sought by Kootenai County prosecutors.

Tuesday’s sentencing came after Tankovich and his two brothers, Frank J. Tankovich, 46, and William M. Tankovich, 49, stood trial in April for hate crime charges. The brothers were arrested in August 2009 for felony hate crimes following a confrontation with Kenneth Requena of Coeur d’Alene.

Requena told officers he felt threatened when the brothers confronted him near his property after they drove up in a truck with “Born to Kill” and swastikas on it.

Requena and the brothers argued and Requena allegedly drew a gun on Ira Tankovich. The three brothers left the scene, but returned 20 minutes later on foot.

When officers arrived, Ira Tankovich, who has “Aryan” and “Pride” tattooed on his legs, was spotted throwing a gun from his possession. He reportedly shouted racial slurs at Requena, according to court reports.

The April trial resulted in a hung jury for William and Frank Tankovich’s charges, and a verdict of guilty on a lesser misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to disturb the peace against Ira Tankovich.

 The first trial ended in a mistrial in March because of the introduction of inadmissible evidence on the first day.

Luster took into account Ira Tankovich’s criminal history when he issued Tuesday’s sentence for the possession crime.

Ira Tankovich and his brother William Tankovich are repeat felons having pleaded guilty in 1990 to voluntary manslaughter for killing Floyd Fumasi, a rancher who lived near Galt, Calif.

The pre-sentencing investigator described Ira Tankovich as “con wise” and a “threat to the community.”

Defense attorneys disagreed, and asked the court not to sentence Ira Tankovich to more than five years.

Ira and William Tankovich stated at the time of their arrest in California that they beat Fumasi to death because he threatened them with a 12-gauge shotgun, according to reports.

By 1989 Ira Tankovich was already on probation for felony burglary. In 1996, he was arrested for suspicion of parole violation in California in connection with a methamphetamine lab bust. In December 1996, he was found guilty of receiving/possessing stolen property in Kootenai County.

Frank and William Tankovich are scheduled for their third trial on the hate crime charges later this month.