SEATTLE DRUG TRAFFICKING LEADER SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR SUPPLYING FENTANYL AND OTHER NARCOTICS WHILE POSSESSING MULTIPLE FIREARMS

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — A 39-year-old Washington man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for leading and supplying a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine throughout Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and homeless encampments. The sentencing concludes a five-defendant federal prosecution involving extensive narcotics distribution, multiple firearms, and a coordinated investigation that began in November 2023.

Tommy Pham, of Newcastle, Washington, received the 120-month sentence on October 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Tana Lin. The court also imposed five years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Pham pleaded guilty in February 2026, marking his second federal drug trafficking conviction after a previous three-year prison sentence failed to prevent his return to criminal activity.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Pham operated as a leader and supplier within a network distributing controlled substances to individuals in Seattle’s International District and an area known as “The Jungle,” a homeless encampment beneath Interstate 5. He supplied narcotics directly to customers and other distributors who resold the drugs throughout the surrounding communities.

Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd identified Pham’s previous federal conviction and repeated possession of firearms as significant factors in the prosecution. The government maintained that his continued trafficking activities endangered communities already affected by addiction, homelessness, and drug-related violence.

The investigation began in November 2023 when the Seattle Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began examining organized narcotics distribution around homeless encampments and the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. Investigators obtained authorization for electronic surveillance and used a court-approved wiretap to identify participants, document transactions, and examine communications involving potential violence.

Federal authorities reported intercepting conversations suggesting possible violent confrontations among individuals involved in the trafficking network. Investigators coordinated enforcement activities to address potential threats without compromising the broader investigation.

In December 2024, shortly before the planned arrests, authorities encountered Pham slumped inside his vehicle. Investigators recovered a loaded 9mm Glock 19 containing 15 rounds of ammunition, approximately eight grams of methamphetamine, and $1,322 in cash. The discovery provided additional evidence connecting firearms and narcotics to his continued activities.

During a coordinated enforcement operation in January 2025, law enforcement officers seized 17 firearms and various quantities of illegal drugs from locations associated with the organization. Five firearms were recovered from Pham’s residence and vehicle, while searches of his home also uncovered methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.

Pham was arrested at a nearby casino while possessing methamphetamine, marijuana, and another firearm. The repeated recovery of weapons during encounters with investigators became a significant consideration in the government’s sentencing arguments.

The original January 2025 indictment charged five defendants with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, along with additional drug and firearm offenses against certain individuals. At the time, federal investigators reported seizing approximately 23 kilograms of suspected fentanyl powder during the broader enforcement operation. That quantity was reported as suspected fentanyl and should not be interpreted as a laboratory-confirmed amount attributable solely to Pham.

Federal prosecutors requested a sentence of 157 months, citing Pham’s leadership position, his role as a continuing source of supply, and his possession of multiple firearms. Judge Lin imposed a 120-month sentence, emphasizing the substantial danger created by combining large-scale narcotics distribution with access to loaded weapons.

The investigation also resulted in prison sentences for four other defendants. Theodore Nation, 36, of Seattle, received 30 months in February 2026. Khampheth Keodara, 43, of Seattle, was sentenced to 75 months in April. Donfeuy Saephan, 55, of Seattle, received 120 months in July, while Sang Tran, 55, of Kent, Washington, was sentenced to 66 months that same month.

Pham’s sentencing completes the proceedings for those five defendants, whose combined prison sentences total 411 months, or 34 years and three months. The prosecutions addressed different levels of participation within the same drug trafficking organization, including leadership, supply, distribution, and firearm-related conduct.

Other federal cases involving drug trafficking in the same communities have resulted in substantial prison sentences for additional suppliers and trafficking organization leaders. Those proceedings are separate from Pham’s case, and their defendants and sentencing outcomes are not included in the five-person total.

The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department, and DEA, with substantial assistance from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The King County Sheriff’s Office and Tukwila Police Department also participated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne prosecuted the case.

FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington and DEA Seattle Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Saccone identified the defendant’s supply activities and firearms possession as important elements of the investigation. Both agencies emphasized continued coordination against trafficking organizations distributing dangerous narcotics in vulnerable communities.

The prosecution was conducted as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, which coordinates federal law enforcement agencies investigating organized crime, narcotics trafficking, and related criminal activity. The Seattle task force includes investigators from the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation, and other federal agencies working with regional enforcement partners.

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