By Tracie Sullivan, For Iron County Today
A Cedar City man has been sentenced to serve multiple terms in the Utah State Prison following convictions for domestic violence and illegal possession of firearms as a restricted person.
Fifth District Court Judge Matthew L. Bell sentenced Vladimir Thomas Boss, 36, to two concurrent prison terms of up to five years each for two third-degree felony counts of possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
Boss also received three misdemeanor sentences: 180 days for possession or use of a controlled substance, 364 days for attempted aggravated assault, and 364 days for assault with substantial bodily injury.
While the felony sentences will run concurrently, the misdemeanor sentences are set to run consecutively to the felony terms, effectively extending his total incarceration time. In total, Boss could serve a total of 12 years but will likely serve up to seven years, with the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole ultimately determining his stay.
Boss’s sentencing stems from two separate incidents investigated in October.
According to the charging documents filed at the time of his arrest, the Iron/Garfield/Beaver Narcotics Task Force discovered drug and firearm activity at Boss’s residence during a surveillance operation.
While watching Boss, police observed suspicious activity, including quick visits by multiple vehicles consistent with drug distribution, which led them to seek a search warrant for the property.
During the search, officers found multiple firearms, including a snub-nose .38 handgun hidden in the wall and an AR-15 rifle concealed in the ceiling. There was also marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and items consistent with drug distribution, such as plastic baggies, scales, and a fixed blade knife located on site.
Boss admitted post-Miranda to being aware of the firearms in the home but denied he owned them. The affidavit further detailed Boss’s history of firearm-related offenses and gang affiliation, which prompted law enforcement to seek a no-bail order during his detention.
At the time of his arrest, Cedar City Police officers had already been investigating two separate domestic violence assaults involving Boss.
Charging documents state that a woman reported Boss assaulted her on two occasions, Oct. 19 and Oct. 23. In the first incident, she told police that Boss became angry during an argument, punched her multiple times, head-butted her, and slammed her head against a vehicle dashboard before pushing her out of the car.
Photos provided to law enforcement showed bruising and scratches consistent with her account.
In the second incident, the victim said that Boss choked her during an argument, restricting her ability to breathe. She also reported that he broke her vehicle’s driver-side window and refused to let her leave. Investigators documented a pattern of harassment, including multiple calls and text messages from Boss after she had asked him to stop contacting her.
Following sentencing, Iron County Attorney Chad Dotson praised law enforcement’s efforts in investigating and resolving the case.
“Proactive police work on the part of the Cedar City Police Department and the Iron/Garfield/Beaver Task Force help root out criminals in our community,” Dotson said in a statement. “Their efforts are critically important to keeping Iron County safe. I am pleased that this case was resolved quickly, and that Vladimir Boss will be removed from our community for the next several years.”