White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Another information-packed public-safety forum was presented by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council last Thursday night at the NH Fire District HQ:

AREA CRIME UPDATE: Deputies BJ Myers and Mary Syson led the briefing. She works 2-10 pm and is usually one of two deputies in the area on swing shift, she said – “Write to your King County Councilmembers, we need more officers!” How many officers would be optimal? At least three at any given time, she said. There are always two on, though, any shift, around the clock. When she comes on shift, there are usually calls holding.

(Staffing concerns arose again when a transit deputy spoke saying that at times only six officers from that department are staffing the entire area served by Metro.)

Deputy Myers spoke of recent arrests involving burglary suspects on both sides of the city/county line – many charges filed, many more – detectives are bringing in victims to identify property and get it back to them. “It’s been great, we don’t always get to see the property returned to the people,” he said.

He then went on to show the September crime map. Nothing too much out of the ordinary, he said; crimes are coming down from a July peak, “pretty typical this time of the year as the weather gets cold, kids go back to school, fewer people out and about.”

Motor-vehicle thefts had something of a spike in July and August.

Theft trend that might surprise you: If you have an outdoor outlet in a publicly accessible place – you might consider finding a way to not have it accessible, because more and more such outlets are being used – to charge phones among other things – amounting to power theft that suddenly turns up on the victims’ bills.

“Have you seen a change (in crime, etc.) since Nickelsville moved out (of Highland Park)?” Deputy Myers was asked. His answer: “No.”

On the prevention front, advice from Deputy Syson: Home security is vital. Outdoor lighting, in particular – “criminals don’t like to be lit up.” Also, she echoed “follow your intuition – call us. Get a plate. Vehicle license plates are great – we can maybe figure out where they live. If you guys don’t call us, we don’t know there’s an issue going on in your neighborhood.”

SEX OFFENDERS: Detective Michael Luchau from the King County Sheriff’s Office Registered Sex Offender Unit – a subset of the Special Assault Unit – gave the featured presentation, which he said was basically what he presents to neighborhoods after Level 3 offenders move in – or used to; because of low attendance, they don’t always have meetings – they might just circulate the notice.

14 people are in the unit, including 9 detectives, and he’s one of them. He also went back to the offender-registration law’s roots – the 1988 Diane Ballasiotes case and the case of Helen Harlow‘s son, leading to the Community Protection Act. The national requirement dates back to 1996, following the kidnapping and killing of Megan Kanka in New Jersey two years earlier.

He also went through background of how long offenders are required to be registered – anywhere from 10 years to lifetime (the latter is mandatory for a Class A felony, which includes first- or second-degree rape and/or first-degree child molesting). Level one offenders are not required to register – unless they are “noncompliant” and that level usually means “no violent history, usually know their victims.” They are rated with various “tools” including police reports, court files, criminal history, pre-sentencing psychological reports.

What happens while they are in jail/prison can affect their classification too – Det. Luchau gave an example of someone “continuing to act out their deviancy.”

Notification about a homeless offender generally “depends on the risk level.”

*Almost 4000 sex offenders in King County right now, he said, and almost half are level 1 – the lowest risk level, while 323 are classified level 3, the highest.

There are 333 in this precinct, which also includes Burien, Vashon, and Skyway. 53 of them are in North Highline, 32 level 1, ten level 3.

20,315 sex offenders are in the state in all, and of them, the detective said, about 708 are in violation of the registration laws, and nobody knows where they are. But if they have registered and are following the rules, there are no other rules/guidelines they have to follow, at least one attendee was surprised to hear. But Det. Luchau stressed – you don’t need to be afraid of (most of) them, just be aware.

Being aware is vital – children are sexually assaulted in much higher numbers than you might expect, such as, one of every three girls has been assaulted by age 16. He also talked briefly about trusting instincts – don’t hesitate to report a suspicious person, maybe someone who seems to be at the park watching kids; be clear about your concerns so that police can at least check on them. Also – be sure you know a lot about anyone who would be caring for your child without supervision, and know a lot about the situation at a house your child is going to visit. “If you don’t feel comfortable with the situation, don’t send them (there)!” said the detective.

Are there halfway houses? asked NHUAC council member Liz Giba, noting that notifications seemed to include the same addresses for multiple offenders. “There are some group homes,” acknowledged the detective. And, he said, there are some group homes that try to pretend they’re not – sometimes by claiming to be “clean and sober” houses.

To find out more about sex offenders in your area, kingcounty.gov/sheriff has the listings of level 2 and level 3 everywhere in the county – look for the link on the left sidebar. The lookup tool also enables you to sign up for e-mail alerts if a “published offender registers in your area.” It’ll give you more information on the offender’s background.

For the entire state, you can go to ml.waspc.org – all registered sex offenders in the state, level two and three.

There’s also the National Sex Offender Public Website.

Don’t ever assume you know how a sex offender looks – they come in all sizes, shapes, etc., he said.

“Why aren’t these people locked up for good?” Some are locked up tfn.

But he also warned that people should use the knowledge responsibly – the notification act could be canceled if it leads to many incidences of harassment, vigilantism, etc. – and authorities do not want to lose it as a tool.

So what happens when an offender gets out of prison/jail? Nobody’s holding that offender’s hand, as Luchau put it. And, as an audience question pointed out, failure to register may just be a misdemeanor. But in other cases, it could be a Class B felony, sending the offender back to prison for longer than their original sentence.

What if you look someone up – is there any chance they might still be on the map even if they are no longer in that neighborhood? Maybe, said the detective, so you’ll want to try alternate lookups to check on that person’s status, as many public records as you can find.

WHAT’S NEXT: According to NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin, the next public-safety forum probably won’t be until March, but they will continue monthly NHUAC meetings on first Thursdays.

Two community announcements:

WHITE CENTER KIWANIS: They’re selling See’s Candy bars for $2/bar, with more than $1 funding their service projects.

COALITION FOR DRUG FREE YOUTH: NHUAC councilmember Elizabeth Gordon says the coalition is circulating a survey on alcohol/drug use, and provided copies; they’re accepting filled-out surveys at her family business, Uncle Mike’s Superlicious Barbecue. The survey will be linked on the NHUAC website.

One week from tonight – the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council hopes to see you at its next public-safety forum:

Save the Date

Thursday, Oct 3
7pm
North Highline Fire Station
1243 112th Street, SW
(entrance in the back)

The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is pleased to be hosting a Public Safety Forum

Want to know more about the King County Sex Offender Registry and Community Notification Program? Then plan on joining us for an informative presentation and discussion with Detective Michael Luchau of the King County Sheriff’s Department Sex Offender Unit.

Share your concerns regarding community safety with White Center Storefront Deputy, BJ Myers and Deputy William Kennamer of Metro Transit Police.

All are welcome!

OUR COMMUNITY MATTERS
BE INVOLVED
BE INFORMED
BE HEARD

SEE YOU THERE!!

It happened just this past hour in downtown WC, says a family that doesn’t want to be identified but hopes the thief will do the right thing:

Tonight around 7:15-7:30 pm, our family was eating at Proletariat Pizza in White Center. Our orange and brown BOB single stroller was stolen.

Our family is sad as we use it every day. If found, please return to Proletariat Pizza, they know how to contact us.

Highland Park Family

SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: The family and stroller are reunited – as explained in this comment on the West Seattle Blog version of this story.

A man arrested in Oregon in connection with a bank robbery there is believed to be a serial robber – with his alleged crimes including the August 30th holdup at KeyBank on 17th SW in White Center. That’s according to multiple media reports out of Portland, including this one. Law enforcers were led to the suspect, according to the newest updates, because the 57-year-old man left his car keys behind and had to try to get away on foot. He is reported to have served time in prison for other robberies.

3:49 PM: King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says the KeyBank branch in the 9600 block of 17th SW has just been robbed. She also sent the photo you see above – if you see him (and/or know who he is), call 911. More details as we get them.

4:04 PM: KCSO says the robber was described as white, in his 40s, wearing a blue shirt and jeans; bank employees reported that he came in just before 3 pm, gave them a note, implied he had a weapon (though it wasn’t seen), and ran away with an undisclosed amount of money, last seen eastbound on 98th SW.

We are checking with the King County Sheriff’s Office to find out more, but for starters: Our partners at The Seattle Times report a man was shot outside White Center Taco Time this afternoon. There apparently was a significant police presence there at one time – but we drove by about 40 minutes ago, unaware of the incident, and noticed just one police car in the area. The Times says a man was shot in the leg, and that investigators were trying to find out who did it and why. We’ll add anything more we find out.

3:37 PM UPDATE: Just heard back from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West. She says, “We received a call of a man shot in the area of 10000 blk of 16 Ave Sw. We arrived at the Taco Time and found a male who had been shot in the ankle area. We do not have a lot of information right now. We are not getting a lot of information from the victim.”

From the Seattle Police SPD Blotter website, an arrest this week in an indecent-exposure case that happened aboard a Metro bus traveling from White Center to West Seattle almost two months ago:

It all started on June 3rd at approximately 7:15 p.m. when the 15-year-old female victim and the 26-year-old male suspect boarded a Metro bus in the area of 15th Avenue SW and SW 102nd Street.

The suspect sat down next to the victim across the aisle. The victim heard some strange noises coming from the suspect and she turned and looked in the suspect’s direction. The suspect exposed his genitals to the victim and began masturbating. The suspect then tried to solicit a date from the victim. The victim was able to photograph the suspect before he exited the bus in the 6000 block of 16th Avenue SW.

Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit detectives initiated an investigation, positively identified the suspect and disseminated a “be on the lookout” bulletin for officers.

On July 31st at approximately 5:18 p.m. two King County Sheriff’s Office detectives spotted the suspect in the area of 15th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury. They detained the suspect and called Seattle Police.

Seattle Police patrol officers responded to the scene, took custody of the suspect and booked him into the King County Jail for Indecent Exposure.

1:05 PM: Thanks to Audrey for the tip about helicopter activity over the area. King Co. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says deputies have detained suspects in a burglary near 4th and 107th. They were found to the south, in North Burien.

1:45 PM UPDATE: Just checked back with Sgt. West. She says the arrests were off 4th S. and S. 116th.

2:38 PM UPDATE: Sgt. West says the story gets even better: This all started when an alert neighbor called 911 after noticing something suspicious at a house at 4th S. and S. 107th. Multiple burglars kicked in the back door while the resident was at work; there were lookouts in another car, and that’s what the neighbor noticed. Just so happened a plainclothes detective in an unmarked car was in the area. He observed for a while, saw the burglars coming out of the house with “a pillowcase full of loot,” Sgt. West says, and followed them, radioing for backup. When the burglars realized they’d been spotted, four of them jumped out of the moving car. The one who was driving was caught fairly quickly; two others were arrested shortly thereafter, and two are still at large. Sgt. West says the loot included at least 10 guns and a safe that either hadn’t been locked or was somehow opened by the burglars.

12:10 PM: Lots of questions about what apparently was Guardian One, the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, over White Center early this morning. KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West confirms it was related to a robbery and is working to get us additional information. We didn’t get messages until it was over, so we wanted to invite you again to PLEASE text or call us at any time, round the clock, when you see potential breaking news, because more often than not, finding information later is all but impossible – 206-293-6302 is the number that will reach us no matter what, no matter when. Update when we get it!

7:48 PM UPDATE: Busy day for KCSO so Sgt. West just followed up with us – the helicopter search followed a robbery at the West Seattle Rainbow Girls’ fireworks stand at 16th/100th in White Center. The stand’s not open that early in the morning, but a volunteer was in a car nearby, keeping watch on the stand, when, Sgt. West says, someone approached and, at gunpoint, demanded money. No money, said the volunteer, but the would-be robber wouldn’t take that for an answer and got a key and tried to open the stand – when a deputy arrived. The search/pursuit followed, and a 16-year-old was arrested and booked into jail, while three accomplices remain at large.

A WCN/WSB reader was concerned that perhaps the King County Sheriff’s Office had more information than they were releasing regarding the potentially connected incidents near 3rd/104th. Today, the reader talked with KCSO Sgt. Cindi West, who shared this as a result:

The attempted child abduction from 2 weeks ago and the recent burglary “may or may not” be related. Given the facts that within 2 weeks, on the same street, a man grabbed a child in a front yard and on the second incident a man tried to gain entry into a room (where a child was sleeping), we felt it important to alert the public in case the two are connected. We, of course, do not know if the two crimes are related.

We also do not know yet if the stolen truck leaving the area is related or not, but since the deputy saw it in the neighborhood not long after the Burglary it is a possibility. We have released information hoping to get tips on who might have been driving the truck.

Our detectives are working hard on these cases and are following up on all tips and leads.

We are continuing to keep the public informed so that our community remains vigil(ant).

Remember you are the eyes and ears of our community! Please remain aware and call 911 to report anything suspicious.

Just in from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West:

A residential burglary attempt of an occupied house occurred on Sunday night on the same street as an attempted abduction of a 3 year old child last week. Detectives believe it may be the same suspect in both cases.

In the latest incident, the suspect attempted to enter a bedroom window of a house in the 10400 block of 3 Ave SW just after 10 pm. A 1 year old child was sleeping in the room and the child’s mother had stepped out of the room for a moment but returned and saw the suspect pushing on the window screen. The child’s mother screamed and the suspect fled.

A relative who was home at the time jumped out the window and chased the suspect losing him near SW106th and 2 Ave SW. The suspect was wearing a grey hoodie and tan shorts.

When deputies arrived in the area they saw a red Mazda Pickup driving quickly out of the area. When deputies tried to stop the vehicle, a female passenger exited the vehicle and the vehicle sped off. The vehicle crashed a short distance away and the suspect fled on foot. The suspect was wearing clothes that matched those of the burglary suspect and was described as “tall and skinny.”

The vehicle was determined to have been stolen from Seattle on May 31st.

The previous incident on the street was on June 2nd when a suspect attempted to abduct a 3 year old child from his yard. The child’s mother was able to fight with the suspect to keep him from taking the child.

In the first incident is the suspect was described as a male, approximately 6’0 tall, and skinny. He wore a full mask, dark gloves, and all black clothing including a tight dark shirt, dark pants, and dark shoes.

Here’s our story from the previous incident two weeks ago.

We mentioned here recently that Cu Van Truong‘s trial had begun for the murder of Jason Saechao at Seattle Roll Bakery in White Center in the final days of 2011. Today, a jury returned a verdict, according to this update on the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office website:

Deputy Prosecutors Alex Voorhees and Jennifer Worley have secured a conviction against Cu Van Truong, who was accused in the shooting death of Jason Saechao after an argument in White Center on December 28, 2011. Truong, 27, was convicted by a jury of Murder in the First Degree with a Firearm Enhancement. The trial was before Judge Catherine Shaffer. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Truong is facing a possible sentence of 40 to 50 years in prison.

12:22 PM: If you’re seeing King County Sheriff’s Deputies out in the 10400 block of 3rd SW and vicinity, they’re following up on a reported kidnapping attempt last night. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says a family was outside their home around 6 o’clock last night, having a barbecue, children playing, and the mom was running around keeping track of them when she felt someone brush by her – and suddenly saw a stranger with her 3-year-old son in his arms. She thought for a moment maybe it was a relative, and then realized something was wrong, and chased the man, who eventually fell down, at which time she struggled with him and eventually wound up lying on top of her child to keep the man from resuming the kidnap attempt. He kicked her repeatedly, Sgt. West says, but then just fled. The family in turn went indoors, locked up, closed the windows, and called 911.

Deputies brought out a K-9 but could not find the would-be kidnapper. KCSO is back in the area today trying again to pick up any track, since, Sgt. West said, this kind of brazen kidnap attempt from private property is so unusual. The only description she has is tall, lanky, dressed in black with a black ski mask over his face.

ADDED 2:25 PM: Sgt. West has just issued a news release about this. It’s all the same information we’ve reported above, with one addition: “If you have information about this crime you are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311.”

We’ve been tracking two White Center murder cases for some months now, and have updates on both:

DECEMBER 2011 BAKERY MURDER: Trial is now under way in King County Superior Court for Cu Van Truong, the man charged on December 30, 2011, with murdering Jason Saechao days earlier at Seattle Roll Bakery in downtown White Center. Prosecutors allege Truong shot Saechao to death in a spat involving a necklace and a woman. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe told WCN the case could go to closing arguments within the next week or so.

NOVEMBER 2012 STABBING: Brodie Lamb, charged last November with stabbing his 69-year-old mother Margaret Ryan to death at her White Center apartment, is at Western State Hospital, according to court records. After being found incompetent to stand trial, he was committed to Western State in early April for a 90-day attempt to restore competency through treatment. A hearing is scheduled in early July to see where the case stands.

Tuesday morning, a WCN reader who just wants to be identified as a “concerned citizen, White Center/Top Hat area” spotted a suspected case of casing:

I believe I caught someone casing my home (Tuesday) morning. I backed out of my driveway around 7 am and saw a clean but older white Chevrolet 2 door pickup truck creeping slow with his lights off behind me a few houses. Ours is not a through street so the truck should have been coming up behind me. Turned the corner but the guy never showed so I went around the block and saw him walking down my front door steps back to his truck. I pulled up next to his driver side window and rolled down my passenger window, he avoided eye contact until I honked my horn. I asked what he was doing and he said his “job,” so I asked what his job was and he said he worked for “the city.” I asked why he wasn’t driving a city truck and he said it was one. I backed up and took a pic of his license plate B89—H. Then he started driving, so I followed him out of the neighborhood and he didn’t stop at a single other house. I confirmed with the non-emergency report operator that this is not a city vehicle and she put me in touch with the sheriff.

Just a reminder, if you leave your house in the morning and someone suspicious also sees you leaving it doesn’t hurt to go around the block and double check that they have continued on down the road.

Police say time and time again, alert citizens are their best weapon against crime.

That’s our video of last night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council public-safety forum, featuring King County Sheriff John Urquhart and North Highline’s Fire Chief Mike Marrs. One of the hottest topics: Whether the KCSO White Center Storefront Deputy position will continue to be funded. Sheriff Urquhart said he was committed to keeping it – but budget pressure could trump his intentions, so everyone who wants it to be kept should contact their representatives, particularly King County Executive Dow Constantine and County Councilmember Joe McDermott. (Their e-mail addresses: dow.constantine@kingcounty.gov and joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov … we’ll keep you updated on the county-budget process and potential touchstones along the way for this issue.)

The storefront deputy himself, Deputy BJ Myers, briefed attendees on current area crime trends – biggest news was an arrest of three alleged serial burglars.

White Center’s continuing-to-grow marijuana industry also was brought up, particularly the reported plan for the former Club Evo site to go into that line of business. It was noted that the injunction covering the site remains in force, so no one can open any kind of nightlife business there.

Questions about crime prevention and crimefighting, fire prevention and firefighting? Here’s your reminder that you’ll want to be at the North Highline Fire District HQ this Thursday night (May 2) for the next North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Public Safety Forum. From the original announcement:

We are pleased to be hosting King County Sheriff John Urquhart and North Highline Fire Chief Mike Marrs.

Sheriff Urquhart will be here to take our questions, and listen to community concerns about public safety and the sheriff’s department staffing levels for the North Highline area.

Once again our White Center Storefront Deputy position is in jeopardy, as the special funding allocated in 2011 expires at the end of 2013. Will the 2014 budget include funding for this essential position?

The North Highline Fire District, which is funded solely by property tax money from North Highline, is facing critical financial challenges. Chief Marrs will discuss the history of our North Highline Fire District, operational status, and future challenges and options.

Storefront Deputy BJ Myers is scheduled to be there too. The forum’s set to start at 7 pm Thursday, 1243 SW 112th – everybody welcome.

(Photo by Patrick Sand for White Center Now)
Last July, minutes after the Chase Bank in White Center was robbed, we photographed that arrest – and today, the robber has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Here’s the announcement just in from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

A 31- year-old man who robbed a Chase Bank branch in the White Center neighborhood of southwest Seattle at gunpoint last year was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 102 months (8.5 years) in prison and three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. BRYAN ALLEN HILL, was convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence following a jury trial in January 2013. HILL was arrested a few blocks from the bank on July 25, 2012, with the gun and cash that had been taken in the robbery. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said this is “a very, very serious offense… basically terrorizing the individuals in the bank.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, HILL entered the bank with a blue bandana pulled up over his face. He pointed a handgun at the teller’s head and ordered the teller to put all the cash in the bag. While stuffing money into his bag, the bandana fell off of HILL’s face and the teller was able to see his face. Other workers in the bank were able to alert law enforcement and one wrote down a description of the robber. Within minutes of the robber leaving the bank, Seattle Police had a description and were searching the area around the bank for the suspect.

A Seattle Police officer spotted someone who was similar in appearance to the suspected robber walking quickly from the area. The officer ordered the man to stop and kneel on the ground. Witnesses from the bank were brought to the scene and identified the man, HILL, as the bank robber. When police searched the bag he was carrying they found the gun, cash, and some of the clothing HILL had removed following the bank robbery.

HILL was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Unveiled in May 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a comprehensive and strategic approach to gun law enforcement. PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun crime in America by networking both new and existing local programs that target gun crime and then providing them with the resources and tools they need to succeed. Implementation at the local level — in this case, in King County– has fostered close partnerships between federal, state and local prosecutors and law enforcement.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs and Assistant United States Attorney Ehren Reynolds. Mr. Hobbs is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute gun cases in federal court.

A week and a half after the King County Sheriff’s Office put out word it was looking for Hung Minh Pham in connection with the arson at a 25th/Roxbury house in February, Pham is in jail right now – booked a little more than an hour ago. He also is charged in connection with a West Seattle assault case, as we reported on partner site West Seattle Blog. His bail is set at $1 million. (Hat tip to Washington’s Most Wanted for first word of today’s arrest.)

Just in from the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

A 35-year-old Auburn, Washington man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for being an armed career criminal in possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, and possession and distribution of cocaine base. MICHAEL PAUL GRADNEY, was identified and prosecuted as part of the 2011 ‘Hot Spot’ initiative designed to combat street crime in the White Center area of King County. GRADNEY was convicted in December 2012 after a five day jury trial. At sentencing today U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that GRADNEY lied when he testified during the trial and had “flagrant disregard for the law.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, GRADNEY sold cocaine to people working with law enforcement on two different occasions in September 2011. In October 2011, law enforcement witnessed GRADNEY making what appeared to be multiple hand to hand drug sales at a gas station and various bars in the White Center neighborhood. On October 13, 2011, officers searched GRADNEY’s Auburn residence and seized a Glock 10 mm pistol, a North American Arms 22 caliber revolver, ammunition for three different firearms, more than $25,000 in cash as well as cocaine and a scale with cocaine residue. GRADNEY is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his lengthy criminal history including five prior felony convictions for drug offenses.

The White Center ‘Hot Spot’ initiative targeted law enforcement resources in the White Center area from July to October 2011. The operation focused on illegal gun sales and drug dealing both on the street and in area businesses. In all approximately 50 people were arrested and law enforcement seized 68 guns, 51 lbs of methamphetamine, 2 lbs of crack cocaine and more than 10 lbs of powder cocaine.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was a coordinated joint effort by ATF, the King County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Seattle Police Department, the King County Metro Transit Police, Washington State Department of Corrections, Washington State Liquor Control Board and the Eastside Narcotics Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Seth Wilkinson.