Jury convicts two leaders of violent Seattle area drug trafficking organization

Two men who led a violent drug trafficking organization distributing meth, heroin and cocaine in the Seattle metro area, including Kent, were convicted on Thursday of numerous counts of drug trafficking and one count of money laundering following a seven-day jury trial.

The jury deliberated for seven hours before returning the guilty verdicts against Son V. Tran, 29, and Tuan A Vu, 50, both of Seattle, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office media release on Monday.

The FBI’s Seattle Safe Streets Task Force and Bellevue Police Department’s Eastside Narcotics Task Force led the two-year investigation. The organization distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine across a wide swath of the greater Seattle metro area.

According to court records and testimony at trial, beginning in February 2013 law enforcement authorities used a variety of tools including telephone wire taps and confidential sources to infiltrate and intercept this drug organization.

The investigation determined that the drug ring distributed approximately 15-20 kilos of cocaine, 10-15 kilos of heroin and five kilos of methamphetamine per month. In addition, on multiple occasions members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested with firearms.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized drugs and cash including a September 2014 seizure of two kilos of cocaine, one pound of methamphetamine and $14,000 cash from a rental car. In March 2015, investigators seized more than $32,000 from a hidden compartment in another vehicle. At the end of the investigation, additional drugs and more than $100,000 in cash was seized from Tran and Vu’s residences.

Drug activity associated with the organization occurred over a wide geographic area with many drug sales occurring in the “Jungle” homeless encampment in Seattle, as well as at homes and near businesses in Seattle, Renton, Shoreline and Kent. The drug transactions occurred in areas ranging from the parking lot of Viet Wah supermarket near South Jackson Street, the parking lot of Dick’s Drive-In on Northeast 45th Street, the parking lot of a gas station on Beacon Hill and at Tukwila motel.

Both Tran and Vu were convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Tran was also convicted of 15 separate counts of distribution of controlled substance or possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute offenses. Vu was similarly convicted of 11 separate distribution of controlled substance or possession of controlled substance offenses.

Both men face up to life in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on Aug. 16.

These defendants, connected with the drug ring, have already pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in the months ahead:

Cuong T. Le, 57, of Federal Way; Niem H. Doan, aka “Linh,” 36, of Everett; Huy V. Tran, 39, of Seattle; Son T. Nguyen, aka “Nine Fingers” aka “Kim,” 42, of Seattle; Tam C. Nguyen, aka “Andy,” 39, of Tukwila; Long V. Trong aka “Black Long,” 42, of Seattle; Vinh Q. Nguyen, 29, of Seattle; Giang T. Ngo, aka “Uncle Jack,” 51, of Burien; Phuong H. Nguyen, aka “LJ,” 30, of Kent; Donald K. Jordan, aka “Looney,” 34, of Seattle; Donald C. Scholoff, 47, of Edmonds; and Steven J. Connell, 47, of Seattle.

These defendants have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison:

Phuong A. Nguyen, aka “P,” 42, of Kent, 12 years; Brieanna K. Carlson, 27, of Seattle, three years; Kimberle S. Alojasin, aka “Nguyen,” 56, of South King County, four years; Kenneth W. Thomas, 55, of SeaTac, four years; Yen T. Vu, 55, of Seattle, three years; and Tony V. Nguyen, 23, of Seattle, two years.