A Seattle man, Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for drug distribution and firearm offenses. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the sentencing, which took place in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Mohamed had pleaded guilty in January 2024 following his indictment in April 2023. He was apprehended twice with large quantities of fentanyl pills and a firearm.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones addressed Mohamed's involvement with drugs and firearms: “You were involved in the dangerous combination of drugs and guns…. Those same drugs that you were dealing you had no idea where they would wind up… You put yourself in danger, your children in danger and their mother in danger.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Miller highlighted the significance of this case: “This defendant’s encounters with law enforcement bookend this investigation – he was caught with thousands of potentially deadly pills and firearms in November 2022 and again in April 2023.” Miller emphasized that combating fentanyl trafficking is a priority for the Department of Justice due to its deadly impact on communities like Whatcom County.
The investigation revealed that Mohamed was part of a six-person drug trafficking ring moving fentanyl from Seattle to Bellingham redistributors. Law enforcement observed various transactions and intervened to stop drug shipments. On December 30, 2022, Lummi Police responded to an overdose incident at a mini-mart involving a fentanyl distributor.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs argued for a ten-year sentence, stating: “Mohamed was involved in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Whatcom County... Ultimately, Mohamed – for whatever reason –was willing to personally profit from the distribution of an addictive and often deadly controlled substance.”
Other members of the drug ring have received sentences ranging from three to ten years. The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through collaboration among multiple agencies.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with assistance from local law enforcement agencies.
