Authorities on Tuesday arrested more than 20 people suspected of trafficking Oxycodone in the Puget Sound area and Northern California, including one Pierce County man. They were searching for another man in Tacoma.
Spanaway resident David L. Potts, 48, and Tacoma resident Vincent L. Fields, 44, were among 18 people indicted in U.S. District Court for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. That crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Potts was in custody and Fields was one of three suspects still on the loose. FBI agents searched for Fields in the 2200 block of South 12th Street on Tuesday, FBI spokeswoman Ayn Sandalo Dietrich said.
Members of the ring traveled repeatedly to Northern California to obtain thousands of Oxycodone pills, which they then would distribute in the Puget Sound region, criminal complaints and indictments claim.
“This drug ring was feeding addiction,” U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said. “They lined their pockets by destroying the lives and families of so many in our community.”
The arrests were part of a two-year investigation by the FBI and Seattle Police Department that involved confidential informants and court-authorized wiretaps of the alleged leader’s phone.
Prosecutors said 43-year-old Herman J. Roche of Kent led the ring.
alexis.krell@thenewstribune.com253-597-8268
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.