SEATTLE - Ferdinand Clay, who was shot while fleeing from the robbery of a marijuana distributor was sentenced on June 6, 2014, in U.S. District court in Seattle to 12 years in prison. On Aug. 13, 2013, Clay, 32, and Melvin Charles Slaughter, 31, tied up and robbed Maple Valley marijuana dealer Jason Loken. The two men stole guns, and marijuana from Loken who had been restrained but was able to free himself. Loken raced out of the house with a gun he had hidden under his mattress, and fired multiple shots at the fleeing robbers. Clay was shot in the face, neck and hip but recovered from his wounds. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
After shots were fired, the robbery team sped away tossing bloodied items from the car, including some of the stolen firearms. They were recovered by police along the highway. The two who were injured went to different hospitals for treatment. Slaughter and the other female member of the robbery crew later turned themselves in to police.
Slaughter was sentenced to 14 years in prison on April 25, 2014. Loken was sentenced to 32 months in prison on May 27, 2014.
The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & (ATF), and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
