Vancouver man gets 7½ years in federal prison for involvement in armed robbery

A Vancouver man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 7½ years in federal prison for coordinating an armed robbery of a drug dealer in September 2021 that led to a shootout in Portland.

Seth Kamaile Teig, 38, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in Portland to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was also originally charged with interfering with commerce by robbery and possessing an unregistered firearm, according to a Department of Justice news release.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 30, 2021, Teig and another Vancouver man, identified as Anthony James Pastorino, 43, traveled to an apartment complex on Hayden Island. Under Teig’s instructions, Pastorino robbed a known drug dealer and stole his backpack, according to court records, cited in the news release.

Pastorino and the dealer exchanged gunfire, and they both suffered serious injuries, the Department of Justice said. Pastorino and Teig drove away from the shooting, back to Washington.

At the scene, Portland police found 18 shell casings, a trail of blood and Pastorino’s wallet. A resident at the apartment complex later found a handgun in nearby bushes, which investigators determined Pastorino had used, the news release states.

Investigators also said they found text messages on Pastorino’s phone showing Teig giving him instructions about the robbery and information about their target.

On Nov. 17, 2021, Homeland Security investigators found Teig in a hotel room in Gresham, Ore., and arrested him. Inside his room and his vehicle, they found two firearms, body armor, ammunition and drug paraphernalia, according to the news release.

Pastorino was also charged in November 2021 with interfering with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to the latter charge, and he is scheduled to be sentenced May 3, the Department of Justice said.