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Date: 04-03-2024
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Judge: Lauren King
Court: The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office for Seattle
Defendant's Attorney:
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Bellingham, Washington man sentenced to eight years in prison for dealing fentanyl while carrying firearms
A 42-year-old Bellingham, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight years in prison for drug distribution and illegal firearms possession announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Adam Wisniewski is the fifth and final defendant to be sentenced in a case involving fentanyl distribution in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Wisniewski pleaded guilty in February 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and two counts of illegally possessing firearms.
At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Lauren King noted Wisniewski’s criminal history saying, his life “had been somewhat of a revolving door of offenses and imprisonment.” Judge King recommended the Bureau of Prisons residential drug treatment program for Wisniewski to treat his addiction.
In April 2022, investigators initially saw drug ring leader Enoc Martinez Lopez, aka “Victor,” 28, of Marysville, Washington, meeting with Wisniewski, at the Silver Reef Casino in Whatcom County. Wisniewski was later arrested with more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder and a firearm. Wisniewski was arrested a second time in June 2022 with two firearms and more fentanyl pills.
In the course of the investigation law enforcement seized: 11.5 kilos of fentanyl pills, 2.8 kilos of fentanyl powder, 5.7 kilos of cocaine, 1.6 kilos of heroin and 8.7 kilos of crystal meth, more than $186,000 in cash and nine firearms.
In asking for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs wrote to the court, “Of particular concern is Wisniewski’s possession of firearms. After being caught by law enforcement with a gun, Wisniewski rearmed himself and – two months later – was in possession of two more firearms. As the Probation Officer notes, the combination of drugs and guns is especially deadly and Wisniewski’s persistence in possessing firearms is extremely concerning.”
The leader of the drug ring, Enoc Martinez Lopez, was sentenced to eight years in prison; Casey Landis, 41, of Bellingham, a drug distributor, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Drug distributor Jesse Witteveen was sentenced to six years in prison; drug trafficking associate Anthony Gunderson was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bellingham Resident Office (DEA), working with the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, the CBP Air & Marine Operations, the Lummi Police Department, the Everson Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
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