A Coeur d'Alene man received a prison sentence for intimidating a witness while held in the Kootenai County jail, according to prosecutors.

Hugo Romero, 43, pleaded guilty in March to unlawful possession of a firearm and intimidating a witness, both felonies, as well as driving under the influence, a misdemeanor. 

First District Judge Ross Pittman sentenced Romero to nine years in prison with parole eligibility after two years. 

The charges stem from May 2024, when police investigated a claim that Romero had pointed a firearm at his former girlfriend. 

Police obtained a search warrant for Romero’s residence and located a firearm. Romero’s firearm rights were suspended due to prior felony convictions, according to the Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. 

A month later, Romero was charged with driving under the influence. A judge ordered that he be held on $250,000 bail and issued a no-contact order forbidding him from contacting his former girlfriend. 

Prosecutors said Romero violated the order in July 2024 by calling the woman from jail and “requesting that she be untruthful when testifying in regard to his criminal proceedings.”