United States of America v. Daniel Hammond

Tacoma, Washington, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in violation of 21:846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).

Digested by Kent Morlan

Daniel Hammond had the ability to order up multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills that he then sold throughout the Tacoma area. Even after his arrest, Hammond reached out to a drug supplier in Mexico seeking to do more deals while he was on pretrial release.

In March 2023, the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration began a two-year, multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking by members and associates of two predominantly white prison gangs: the Aryan Family and Omerta. These gangs, as well as associates outside of prison, were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, including the distribution of multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine throughout Western Washington and other states.

Over the course of the investigation, agents seized an estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms from members of the conspiracy. In addition, during the coordinated arrests of the DTO members in March 2023, law enforcement seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, six pounds of heroin, more than $330,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 177 additional firearms.

Mr. Hammond played a key role in a widespread and lethal conspiracy to traffic vast amounts of dangerous drugs into Washington state, personally redistributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills on a weekly basis. The investigation identified three branches of the gangs involved in drug trafficking. Hammond was a key associate of Yehoshua Kilp – a leader of one of the three branches. A year ago, Kilp was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In asking for a 188-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted the deadly and devastating impact of the drugs Hammond spread in our community, writing to the court: “Hammond conspired to flood Western Washington with massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills. These drugs have a devastating impact on the community. Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing—from family members, friends, and complete strangers—to feed their addictions. No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities. More importantly, these drugs destroy the lives of those who use them, and the lives of the users’ families and friends. Those families and friends are prisoners, forced to watch the toll these drugs take on their sons, daughters, parents, or friends.”

“Daniel Hammond helped fuel a criminal enterprise that flooded our communities with methamphetamine and fentanyl while enriching a violent prison gang,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA and our law enforcement partners are relentlessly disrupting the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking deadly drugs into our communities and holding those who profit from addiction accountable. Every trafficker brought to justice and every pound of drugs seized moves us closer to a Fentanyl Free America.”

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The Defendant as found guilty and was sentenced to 132 months imprisonment with placement at an institution near FCI Sheridan and RDAP recommended; 5 years supervised release with mandatory, standard and special conditions; $100 special assessment.