A Seattle man, Phuong Nguyen Le, aged 50, has been sentenced to 90 months in prison by the U.S. District Court in Seattle for drug trafficking and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Le's arrest was linked to a drive-by shooting incident in Seattle’s International District in February 2023, leading to his indictment in May 2023.
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun remarked that Le’s actions “inflicted serious risk to members of the community.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Miller emphasized the collaboration between local and federal law enforcement agencies to enhance safety in the International District, stating: “This case is a good example of our office working with the King County Prosecutors Office and the Seattle Police to take the cases where federal prosecution provides the most impact.”
The incident occurred on February 24, 2023, when Seattle Police officers responded to reports of shots fired at an intersection in Seattle. Witnesses identified a man in a white Mercedes firing a handgun multiple times into the air. Officers located the vehicle nearby with Le driving and his girlfriend as a passenger. A search of Le's vehicle revealed various illegal items including firearms and drugs:
- A Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm caliber pistol with ammunition
- An additional loaded magazine
- Two spent bullet shell casings
- Approximately 83 grams of heroin
- Approximately 135 grams of cocaine
- Approximately 194 grams of suspected fentanyl powder
- Around 350 pills suspected to contain fentanyl
Prosecutors highlighted Le’s possession of multiple controlled substances intended for distribution along with being armed during these activities as aggravating factors warranting his sentence.
Following his prison term, Le will undergo five years of supervised release.
Le's criminal history includes a conviction for distribution of cocaine base in April 2012 and a two-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and drugs in September 2020.
The investigation was conducted by the Seattle Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne prosecuting the case.
