A 61-year-old Port Ludlow man is facing a dozen felony firearm charges after he allegedly shot and killed his neighbor’s dog with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Ronald Scott Roth was arrested at his Thorndyke Road home Monday, May 23 and booked into Jefferson County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, first-degree animal cruelty, and making false statements to law enforcement.

The man’s wife, Diann Guay Johnston, 60, was jailed for making false statements to law enforcement, second-degree rendering of criminal assistance, and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Sheriff deputies were dispatched to Thorndyke Road just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 22, after a woman claimed Roth, her neighbor, had shot her dog. She then pointed in the direction where her pet had run off.

After the dog was shot, the woman said Roth got into his truck and drove away. She also told a deputy she did not see Roth with a firearm.

A deputy soon found the dog dead, with a gun wound in the middle of its chest. The deputy went to Roth’s home to talk to him, according to court documents, but he was not there.

Deputies returned to his home the next morning and spoke with Roth and Johnston, who was identified as his wife in court papers.

Johnston immediately told deputies that Roth had not shot the dog and didn’t own any firearms.

Instead, she said their friend “Sean” has shot the dog, and that she wasn’t home at the time, but was at work in Tacoma.

Roth also blamed Sean for shooting the dog, and insisted he didn’t own any firearms.

When a deputy asked what had happened, Roth said he and Sean were in the backyard when a dog chased his dogs into the house.

He said he went to the back door and got the dog out, but while he was trying to get the dog to go away, Sean ran through the house and went to his truck. The dog went around the house to the front driveway, Roth recounted, and Sean shot the dog with a shotgun.

A deputy found a shotgun wad in the driveway, according to court documents.

When asked where the dog had been shot, Roth allegedly pointed directly to where a blood trail started. He also said he was in the backyard and didn’t see anything.

Roth also allegedly said he left after the incident and went to his son’s house, and did not return home until the next morning.

Deputies quickly learned Roth was a convicted felon with his most recent conviction coming from unlawful possession of a firearm.

Since the neighbor did not see Roth leave with a gun, authorities obtained a search warrant over the telephone to look for the weapon inside the home.

During the search of the home, deputies found 12 firearms. A dozen had been hidden in a fold-out couch, and the other two were found in a bedroom. Authorities said 10 of the 12 guns were loaded.

A search of the car belonging to his wife led to the discovery of several ammunition crates full of ammo in the trunk.

Roth was again asked about what happened with the dog, and he said he was out back when a stray dog chased his dogs into the house. He allegedly told authorities he got the dog out and grabbed a bolt-action 12-gauge shotgun, went out the back door, saw the dog in the driveway, and shot him with buckshot.

He then told a deputy that he owned all the guns that were found.

When asked why they weren’t in the gun safe, he said his wife had moved all the guns the night before and hid them in the couch, and put all the ammo in her trunk, so he wouldn’t get in trouble.

Johnston told a deputy she knew nothing about the guns but had put the ammunition in her trunk to keep Roth out of trouble.

After being confronted with her husband’s admission, she broke down, according to the probable cause report that was filed in the case.

She allegedly admitted moving the guns to hide them “in case the cops showed up,” and said she was also a convicted felon.

When asked if Sean was really at the house, Johnston said no, and that she just said that because she didn’t want Roth to get into trouble.

Deputies seized multiple types of weapons from the couple’s home, including an AR-15 assault rifle, numerous shotguns, and a .50-caliber muzzleloader.

The guns confiscated included a stolen .338-caliber Savage rifle, 12-gauge Champion shotgun with a pistol grip, an AR-15 Colt semi-automatic assault rifle, a Russian Mosin-Nagant 7.62x54R military rifle fitted with a bayonet, a .50-caliber Thompson muzzleloader, a .22-caliber Western Auto rifle, a Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rifle, a J.C. Higgins 12-gauge shotgun without a serial number, a .22-caliber Cricket rifle, a Bryco .38-caliber handgun, a 12-gauge New England pump shotgun, and a .177-caliber air rifle.

Roth made his first appearance May 24 in Jefferson County Superior Court via a video link from Jefferson County Jail. He was charged with first-degree animal cruelty, 12 counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and making false or misleading statements to a public servant.

Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Chris Ashcraft said Roth had 15 prior convictions and 10 prior warrants for his arrest.

Ashcraft also noted the number of firearms that were allegedly found in Roth’s possession.

“Obviously, the state has some concerns,” he said.

Even so, prosecutors asked that Roth be released on his own personal recognizance, but be prohibited to going back to the address of his neighbor who called 911.

Superior Court Judge Keith Harper agreed, and his arraignment was set for May 27. 

He entered a “not guilty” pleading to all charges Friday.

According to court documents, Roth’s criminal history includes a conviction for hit-and-run of an occupied vehicle.

Johnston also made her first court appearance May 24. She sobbed heavily throughout her 15-minute court appearance.

Johnston also had a criminal history, Ashcraft said, for conviction of delivery of a controlled substance.

Ashcraft also asked that she be released without bail, and the judge agreed. 

Johnston also entered a pleading of “not guilty” to unlawful possession of a firearm. 

Conviction of first-degree animal cruelty can result in a maximum prison sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Conviction of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum prison sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.