SEATTLE — Over a dozen people have been arrested as a result of a two-year operation targeting an interstate fentanyl trafficking ring.
That includes Matelita "Marty" Jackson, the former executive director of Southeast Network SafetyNet of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County.
According to charging documents filed in U.S. District Court, Matelita Jackson helped launder money through "structured deposits and using her account as a 'pass-through' account" between the alleged leader of the drug ring and other members, many of whom were family.
For two years, the Seattle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI have been looking into the Jackson drug trafficking organization, which resulted in 14 indictments and criminal complaints over the last couple of days, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Tessa Gorman. Three of those indicted are fugitives, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The ring is allegedly linked to a fatal overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Last year four people died of fentanyl overdoses on the reservation within four days. Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson drug trafficking organization. The ring is accused of deliberately targeting Native communities in both Washington and Montana.
"There's not a community I visit that does not talk about the devastation that fentanyl has done to their communities," Gorman said. "This poison has harmed their children, their families, and their communities — and nowhere is that more felt than our Native communities."
The drug ring was allegedly led by 31-year-old Marquis Jackson, who ran the organization with the help of his parents and siblings and was a "major regional supplier of fentanyl in western Washington." Marquis Jackson splits his time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington, home of his parents, Mandel Jackson and Matelita Jackson.
Also linked to the Renton family home were Miracle Patu-Jackson and Markell Jackson. Matelita is Miracle's mother and Markell's step-mother, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Markell Jackson, 21, is a fugitive being sought by law enforcement for his involvement with the drug trafficking ring. He was identified as a "major supplier of fentanyl pills" onto Lummi tribal lands, according to charging documents.
Matelita and Miracle were released on bond.
Matelita has no prior criminal history, according to charging documents.
The family faces various charges for conspiracy, including drug trafficking and money laundering and has alleged ties to a Seattle-area street gang, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the family bought fentanyl in bulk from Arizona and distributed it in several states. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas and Arizona also executed search warrants and some arrests related to the trafficking ring.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized nearly 850,000 fentanyl pills, nearly seven kilograms of fentanyl powder, seven kilograms of cocaine, 29 firearms and more than $100,000 in cash.
In a statement from Boys & Girls Club of King County Chief Development Officer Jayme Hommer, the organization has "taken corrective action" after learning about the indictment of Matelita Jackson, "a former employee."
"We will cooperate fully with authorities and have also launched an internal investigation to ensure the ongoing safety of Club members and staff," the statement reads. "We plan to offer our full cooperation to the authorities as needed."