DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Washington

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Annette L. Hayes
, United States Attorney
Contact: Emily Langlie

Twenty Charged in Drug Conspiracy Distributing Heroin and Methamphetamine throughout King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties

Long-term Investigation Identified Suppliers and Redistributors of Significant Quantities

A task force led by the Drug Enforcement Administration today arrested 15 people and continues to search for an additional six defendants charged in connection with a long-term investigation of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  Law enforcement served search warrants at eight locations and searched more than a dozen vehicles.  At locations in Tacoma, Seattle, Auburn, Fife, Renton, Bonney Lake, and Tumwater, officers and agents seized more than a dozen weapons, 11 pounds of heroin and more than $40,000 in cash.  The defendants arrested today will appear at 2:30 today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.

"I commend the strong partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement that led to charges against twenty defendants responsible for pumping the misery of methamphetamine into south King County and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.  “Working together we were able to use federal tools such as wiretaps to unmask those behind the drug crimes that have plagued many of our suburban neighborhoods and communities.”

The lead defendant in this case is DERRICK DONNELL TAYLOR-NAIRN, 32, of Seattle, who was at the center of the drug trafficking conspiracy.  Four other defendants, JESSICA PLASCENCIA HERNANDEZ, 34, of Renton, JOSE MARGARITO MALDONADO, 38, of Bonney Lake, LEBRET MARQUIS RICHARDSON, 37 of Fife, and ANDREW LEIE YOUNG, 34, of Seattle, allegedly supplied large quantities of methamphetamine and face longer potential sentences due to the drug quantities involved.

The 15 additional defendants named in the indictment are:

            LISA ANN ADAMS, 42, of Lake Stevens

            DAVID EARL BEEMAN, 51, of Tukwila

            IAN EDWARD DISTRITO, 41, of Auburn

            SHAIINE RODNEY JARDINE, 29, of Puyallup

            ARTHUR ALONZO JEFFERSON, 59, of Lynnwood

            DE’ANDRE AARON JONES, 39, of Auburn

            SHANNON MARIE LEUPOLD, 44, of Tumwater

            RIJAONA C. LASHAE LINDSEY, 26, of Seattle

            LAURA ANN PALPALLATOC, 64, of Renton

           SOURIYANH L. PASOMSOUK, 43, of Federal Way

           CHAD MICHAEL STAHLMAN, 24, of Bonney Lake

           CORI NICOLE TROMBLEY, 33, of Tacoma

           SERESA MAE WALTERS, 40, of Tacoma

           CRYSTAL MARLENE WEAVER, 36, of Bellevue

          JACK NY YIM, 47, of Federal Way

One additional defendant was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint.  CRAIG FELLERS, SR., 49, of Seattle, was charged with making a false statement in connection with an attempted firearms purchase.  In September 2017, FELLERS attempted to purchase a semi-automatic assault pistol at the direction of drug ring-leader TAYLOR-NAIRN.  FELLERS allegedly lied on purchase forms claiming the gun was for his personal use, when monitored telephone calls revealed the gun was being purchased for someone who is prohibited from possessing firearms.  After being alerted by law enforcement the gun store refused to sell FELLERS the gun.

“We are very proud of our partnership with the Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce,” said Puyallup Chief of Police Scott Engle. “Our partnership reveals the strength of federal and local agencies working together to make our communities safer.  I am proud of all the hard work done by detectives and task force officers.” 

DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis said, “Today’s success is due to the strong partnerships built within the law enforcement community which collectively came together with the vision to remove an armed drug trafficking group representing imminent danger to our communities.” 

The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved.  This investigation was conducted by DEA Tacoma, the Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), and the Puyallup Police Department, with significant assistance from Bonney Lake, Auburn and Kent Police Departments.   The investigation was supported by agents from Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, deputies from the United States Marshal’s Service, and analysts from the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and National Guard.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marci L. Ellsworth and C. Andrew Colasurdo.

Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov

 

Seattle Field Division