A 43-year-old Renton man was transferred to federal custody on March 30 and charged with drug and gun crimes, according to U.S. Attorney Nick Brown from the U.S. Department of Justice.
David Christopher Pitts was initially arrested in December 2021, following an undercover investigation of his drug trafficking activities. On March 30, Pitts appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered to be detained pending further hearings.
According to records filed in the case, in November and December 2021, a person working with law enforcement purchased fentanyl from Pitts at his residence in Renton.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers with the Seattle Police Department SWAT team arrested Pitts without incident and searched his residence. In the main bedroom, officers found three handguns – one of them stolen.
In the closet of the bedroom there was reportedly a hard-shell case containing methamphetamine, fentanyl and Xanax bars. In a safe in that same closet investigators found heroin, cocaine, suboxone, ketamine, fentanyl pills and medical grade fentanyl. There was also more than $55,000 in cash.
In a second bedroom, which Pitts had been using as a storage space, officers allegedly found 15 handguns, four semiautomatic assault rifles, two bolt action rifles and a 12-gauge shotgun.
Throughout the residence, there were numerous items that appeared to be stolen goods, such as power tools, computer equipment, laptops and camera gear. Authorities say many of these items are often traded for drugs.
Due to the amount of drugs involved in this case, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a consecutive five-year prison term in addition to any term imposed on the drug crime.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department as part of the FBI’s Violent Crime, Gang and Organized Crime Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin H. Becker.
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