A Seattle man was convicted of distributing fentanyl in downtown Seattle. He was also armed with a firearm at the time. This case will be a first in the books. Kendall Alston, 31, is the first defendant tried federally as part of the Seattle Police emphasis to combat crime in the Pike/Pine corridor.
An officer in an observation point above the street witnessed a person in distinctive clothing engaging in what appeared to be a hand-to-hand drug sale. The officer returned to street level and saw the person later identified as Alston make another drug sale. Officers moved in and took Alston into custody. Alston carried 244 blue pills that were later tested and found to contain fentanyl. In his backpack, Alston carried a loaded Hi-Point .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
In the U.S. District Court in Seattle, three federal crimes related to the distribution of fentanyl pills in downtown Seattle, was announced. Alston was arrested on March 23, 2022, after Seattle Police Officers noted his hand-to-hand drug sales. Officers had been surveilling the area of 3rd Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets as part of “Operation New Day.”
Alston was guilty of knowingly distributing fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. It was a 3-day trial. The jury deliberated about three hours. U.S. District Judge Lauren J. King scheduled sentencing for November 9, 2022.
Following the guilty verdicts, Alston agreed to plead guilty to two additional counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Distribution of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm are punishable by up to ten years imprisonment. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a consecutive five-year prison sentence on top of any sentence imposed on the other counts.
