FOLLOWUP: New information on SWAT raid in South Delridge

(WSB photo from Thursday)

As first reported here on Thursday, SWAT officers served a drug warrant at 9200 16th SW, which had a business license through last December as an auto-repair business. “Drug warrant” is all police would tell us about the raid – until now:

Police began investigating a West Seattle auto body shop after receiving dozens of complaints of blatant drug-trafficking. What they found was more than 15 rifles, 6 shotguns, 20 handguns, over $60,000 in cash, and almost 3 pounds of marijuana.

Narcotics detectives could tell the extent of the operation after counting 400 customers a day in and out of the auto body shop — very few with car trouble, it seemed. Detectives conducted an extensive investigation including surveillance of the business and undercover buys confirming the illegal sale of marijuana inside a cargo container around the back of the property.

Detectives developed probable cause for several suspects in the operation and obtained search warrants for the auto body shop, as well as the body shop owner’s residence, and the owner’s father’s residence.

(SPD photo)

At the auto body shop in the 9200 block of 16 Ave SW, police seized 1276 grams of marijuana, 459 marijuana edibles, 18 grams of Shatter (solid hash oil), 5 handguns, and $7325.00.

(SPD photo)

Police seized 15 rifles, 6 shotguns, 5 handguns, and $1576.00 at the owner’s residence in the 8600 block of 35 Ave SW. Two of the seized guns were reported stolen.

The owner’s father, who is allegedly the second in charge of the drug operation, lives in Burien and had 10 firearms and $54,000 in cash seized from his residence.

Four arrests were made on Thursday and the suspects were all interviewed and released from the scene.

The photos were published with an update on SPD Blotter. We’ll be following up to check on whether charges are filed.

52 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: New information on SWAT raid in South Delridge"

  • 33Pete July 27, 2015 (4:25 pm)

    “Four arrests were made on Thursday and the suspects were all interviewed and released from the scene.”

    Come again? Individuals with illegal/stolen guns, operating a drug business in broad daylight, and confirmed illegal sales as part of a sting operation are “released from the scene.”

    I would have thought jail & bail at the least. I guess we trust these people to be good citizen while they are out and to not use any of the money they have accumulated in their operation to flee.

  • Alan July 27, 2015 (4:31 pm)

    @33Pete = I would tend to agree. From reports, they were able to move (or continue) operations to South Park and just direct their customers down there.

  • motormike July 27, 2015 (4:51 pm)

    This is a weird coincidence. The owner lives on the same block as this person who is a pot shop owner.
    http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2015/04/17/masked-men-force-their-way-into-pot-shop-owners-home/

    • WSB July 27, 2015 (5:03 pm)

      We received a tip the cases were related. I am still verifying.

  • jhoff July 27, 2015 (5:00 pm)

    Gotta make you wonder…

  • WillBeHOnest July 27, 2015 (5:13 pm)

    Shocking!!!

  • Jeremy July 27, 2015 (5:16 pm)

    There, uh, seem to be no Yelp reviews of that location.

  • Eric1 July 27, 2015 (5:19 pm)

    Makes you wonder what crimes warrant arrest and bail in this city. The clowncil wants to charge legitimate citizens $25 per gun and 5 cents per round but they let people with stolen guns, ammo and $60,000 walk away. Pure genius.

  • CJ July 27, 2015 (5:22 pm)

    Motormike, that came to mind for me as well!

  • RayK July 27, 2015 (5:35 pm)

    Hopefully the computers were also seized.

    Arrested and released before booking? Something smells fishy.

  • Foucault July 27, 2015 (5:37 pm)

    I was very pleased to hear that this place was raided, but am disappointed now that I know it was just weed. I was certain they were selling hard drugs out of that place. Also, most of the firearms were found at the father’s residence and appear to be hunting rifles. The firearm enhancement on the federal charges is gonna suck for these guys.

  • Melissa July 27, 2015 (5:48 pm)

    I agree with the other comments about the flight risk due to the large amount of money that was made at this location. Using the 400 customers a day, the $54K would seems like just a weeks worth of receipts.

    Any information on when they might be arraigned on the charges?

  • westseattledood July 27, 2015 (5:56 pm)

    Please, WSB, can you inquire about why they were released? What gives? The fine and good people of the South Delridge Triangle area have been diligent in organizing and reporting untold occasions of illegal activities. And THIS is what the consequence and outcome is? They are RELEASED? The good neighbors there deserve the answers – here on this forum. I just do not get this.

  • Seatowndude July 27, 2015 (7:06 pm)

    Thank you SPD!!!
    Let’s keep this ball rolling and get rid of these pukes who are making our area a hell…

  • JulNJer July 27, 2015 (7:15 pm)

    Jeremy, your comment made my day. Thanks!

  • Foucault July 27, 2015 (7:25 pm)

    @westseattledood – what’s not to get? This was a non-violent crime, and more charges are probably forthcoming. A person’s due process rights aren’t weighed against neighbors who “diligently organize and report.” I’m sure you’re frustrated, but that’s not how the rule of law works.

  • Marcus M July 27, 2015 (7:27 pm)

    Why are these operations even necessary anymore? Buyers can’t be bothered to go all the way to Ganga Goddess in SODO?

  • lefty July 27, 2015 (8:10 pm)

    the customers are going to lurches in south park

  • KBear July 27, 2015 (8:38 pm)

    Oh yeah, these guys are totally nonviolent. That’s what all the guns were for.

  • WSB July 27, 2015 (8:59 pm)

    To the upthread question about charges: No charges are filed yet so far as we know. I am checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tomorrow on whether the case has even been referred for charges. Just because someone has been arrested and released does NOT mean charges/prosecution won’t follow – sometimes it’s a matter of days, sometimes weeks or months – and yes, sometimes not at all – TR

  • SadWest July 27, 2015 (9:02 pm)

    This explains the three sets of gun shots I’ve heard and the break in that happened all within the last 2 months. Living in the area where this house is located has been getting worse. In fact there was gunshots last night around 9:30. Hopefully this arrest will help calm things down.

  • Marco July 27, 2015 (9:33 pm)

    Where’s Robocop when you need him.

  • Darryll July 27, 2015 (9:49 pm)

    I have no problem with people buying, selling, or using weed legally, but this place was clearly violating the law, skirting their tax liability, and bringing a lot of unknown people into our neighborhood to do illegal business. This neighborhood has enough challenges as is, and bringing even more illicit activity into the area is inconsiderate and disrespectful to all of us who actually live here.

    Judging by the cache of weapons, these people were also bringing the potential of armed violence into our residential neighborhood, which is full of very young children, a lot of at risk teens, and a community center right next door to their illicit shop. I am happy to see these folks get busted and I hope they don’t come back.

  • valvashon July 28, 2015 (5:34 am)

    So that makes possibly three marijuana related houses in the 8600 block of 35th. The owner of the “auto repair business”, the marijuana shop owner who was robbed (if they are different houses/people) and the basement grow operation (last summer) which was supplying a medical marijuana location. I lived next to the grow operation (basement ventilation system, nobody ever around, confirmed by female half of couple who owned home) so I can confirm it existed. They only stopped because the ventilation system wasn’t up to the task and the crops (4 of them!) kept failing. Add these things to the rentals that have caught fire and been abandoned for periods of time and the endless, noisy, ugly remodel-by-a-realtor across the street and this block went downhill pretty fast in the last couple of years. Quite glad I sold and got out last year.

  • Jarmo July 28, 2015 (8:08 am)

    From the family and old friends of these men: We’re glad this dangerous operation that caused grief to the neighborhood and separation from people who love them is finally coming to an end. We hope this signals a change for the better for the community. There have been so many wonderful new businesses starting up in the White Center area and it sounds like some of the neighbors are very willing to work to make things better.

  • 16th&Holden July 28, 2015 (8:15 am)

    I’m still waiting for them to raid my neighbors house, three years we have dealt with traffic coming and going all day and into the night…

  • westseattledood July 28, 2015 (9:26 am)

    16th&Holden,

    Organize your neighbors into blockwatches, contact your community officer at the SW Precinct, attend the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network meetings, Highland Park Action Committee and Delridge District Council meetings.

    Waiting for other people to get it done is not a strategy for you to get what you want for yourself and your good neighbors. Making a difference is doable. Persevere and organize.

    Foucault, do you have a law or legal degree? I would not make too many assumptions here in these comments.

  • just asking July 28, 2015 (10:42 am)

    So last year SPD arrests and jails a 69-year-old African-American man who was carrying a golf club as a cane… and these guys are interviewed and released at the scene?

  • T Rex July 28, 2015 (2:02 pm)

    I have several friends who smoke the legal stuff and it is expensive! Therefore not everyone can afford it. To compete, the drug dealers on the street are dropping their prices to sell to those who cannot afford the new genetically enhanced legal stuff. Didn’t hear about that when the laws were changed did we?

    My guess is these guys, had they not been caught would have expanded their business to other drugs such as meth and possibly heroin. Glad they got caught!

  • Bradley July 28, 2015 (3:26 pm)

    @Foucault: Dealing drugs illegally while in possession of (including stolen) firearms IS a violent crime. Chicago is filled with young men killing each other over drugs on a daily basis. We don’t want Seattle turning into Chicago. Also, those hunting rifles shoot FAR larger, heavier, more powerful, and much more dangerous rounds than the little rounds “assault rifles” fire. This was a thwarted disaster and good on the SPD for putting the kabash on it.

  • NotOnHolden July 28, 2015 (7:22 pm)

    Don’t really care too much about pot. I honestly thought they were selling something more, I’ve never seen so many stoners drive like such jerks.

    The whole being in possession of guns that were reported stolen is a huge issue to me. So not okay.

  • Foucault July 28, 2015 (7:36 pm)

    We don’t punish people based on their propensity. We punish people for the crimes that were committed. No one is alleging a violent crime was committed. I practice law for a living, but please, continue to inform me on what constitutes a violent crime.

  • erico July 28, 2015 (7:52 pm)

    Foucault – I could not agree with you more and it is troubling that you seem to be in the minority here.

  • M July 28, 2015 (8:06 pm)

    The place was called Wolf Pack, and operated as a medical marijuana collective, a quasi-legal loophole in the law until the legislature cracked down earlier this year. There were many like them all over the city and most, if not all, are closing down because of the new laws, and because they broke the old hard to enforce old ones as well.

    Having been a customer there on 3 or 4 occasions, as much out of curiosity as anything, I can tell you that yes, it was indeed operated out of a small, beat-up, metal cargo container behind the repair shop. You entered through two heavy duty steel doors, with a sign on the second one that said “No Sunglasses”, for some reason. Although the space is tiny – 8 by 16 feet – it’s almost always full, mostly with young people (18 years plus), many waiting for “dabs”. Dabs are concentrated THC (referred to as shatter in this post) that is vaporized with a blowtorch and inhaled through a water pipe. One toke for $5. Which is about what a tab of real LSD cost back in the day, and nearly as strong, which adjusted for inflation isn’t bad. And one toke will send you to Oz and back and make you dumber than a bag of hammers along the way, which can’t be good.

    Next to the continually working dab torch master were 4 or 5 large mason jars filled with pot, and names like Cotton Candy crudely written on them with grease pencil. It was sold in whatever quantity you wanted or could afford – three bucks, twenty, whatever. They’d just reach into one of the jars and take out a pinch, usually erring on the generous side. And, I have to say, they were always very friendly and pleasant to deal with (albeit hygienically challenged) and charged a third of what the licensed recreational places charge.

    And I have to admit, that any business run out of a tiny, beat-up, shipping container, behind a shabby auto repair shop and attracts 400 customers a day, with no advertising, no signage and tons of competition and no reports of violence, must be doing something right. I mean that’s not an easy thing to do. I asked the owner about that one time and he told me that he felt they were offering the community a safe and fair place to buy pot, and that the only people in the neighborhood who didn’t think that was such a great idea were the street dealers, which is probably why the cops looked the other way.

    But now the street dealers are back in business and all is normal again. In any case, aside from the gun thing, which they probably took in trade for pot, another community service, these people struck me as pretty harmless. Potheads. Not Walter White types.

    And RK – Seize their computers? This wasn’t a computer intensive business. Believe me.

  • Linda July 28, 2015 (9:38 pm)

    So….take their guns..cash and marijuana? America?

  • Matt S. July 28, 2015 (10:22 pm)

    Thanks for the insight, M! Fascinating.

  • NotOnHolden July 29, 2015 (9:44 am)

    Do not tell me that they were doing a service to the community by taking stolen guns as trade for pot? I would laugh if it were actually funny.

  • Wes C. Addle July 29, 2015 (10:07 am)

    The insight that M provided is why our legalization should’ve been similar to that of Colorado or Oregon. High retail prices and no one allowed to grow at home will keep the black market alive and well.
    .
    Another failed opportunity by our state. Even the latest update to lower the tax from 75% to 37.5% still keeps the price at a ridiculous price. It really needs to be around 20-25% to bring people to the retail stores.

  • peoplebeforepot July 29, 2015 (11:40 am)

    Adolescent brain development is not completed until about age 25. It sickens me that underage kids have such lame role models. There is nothing more important for these kids, as a matter of opinion, than having brain cells with damage-free synapses that can fire and help steer a kid away from stupid influences. It is not OK for kids to use weed. And that is a different discussion than black market rhetoric. I could care less how stupid you want to be if you don’t harm the well-being of adolescents. They are not done growing. Clearly, the adults who don’t see this as more important have stopped caring. Not impressed by your value systems. You know who you are.

  • Matt S. July 29, 2015 (11:54 am)

    @peoplebeforepot: I’m not following you—who exactly is trying to get kids to smoke more pot?

  • Peoplebeforepot July 29, 2015 (1:01 pm)

    It is simple and straightforward if one is a close reader. M’s narrative you were so enthralled by identifies 18-year olds hanging out in the trailer. The fact that detail was overlooked is telling and makes my point precisely.

  • Matt S. July 29, 2015 (2:30 pm)

    You’re right, peoplebeforepot, I failed to grasp your perfectly clear point directed at “you know who you are” and I am therefore basically encouraging children to use drugs.
    .
    I assume from your first comment that you believe anybody okay with pot is being stupid and that they’re naturally a terrible role model for children. Enjoy being an enlightened adult, and please continue showering children with your secrets for reading, writing, and arguing clearly.

  • Wes C. Addle July 29, 2015 (2:39 pm)

    @PBP
    Or maybe most of us know that 18 years old is old enough under the current law as this was “technically” a medical dispensary (although I kind of have my doubts about that)
    .
    Maybe we should just make 25 the legal age for everything cigarettes, pot, beer, military, voting etc . . since you know the brains aren’t fully developed. /sarc

  • MotorMike July 30, 2015 (11:35 am)

    I find it really annoying that the owners have justified themselves as helping the neighborhood. They have not helped nor have they consulted anyone from the neighborhood. If this property starts doing business again I hope the owners consider being an asset to the community rather than a liability.
    1) Street Drug Dealers did not decrease with the opening of this illegal operation. If anything they increased or turned to worse drugs.
    2) If the argument is that they were taking guns off the street. Then they were also providing an easy outlet for stolen guns. Furthermore they were linking the stolen guns to an addiction. This would increase the demand for stolen guns and create a reward for robbing houses.
    3) By the sound of the value proposition of this operation, it would explain why we have had an increase in strung out people walking the streets, homeless occupying nearby abandoned properties and prostitution.
    4) There were five handguns found on the property. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

  • Average joe July 30, 2015 (12:48 pm)

    Taken my car there for years and will continue too…all great guys that work/ worked there!! Pots legal… who cares..soon every corner will be a legal shop..then what will you all have to say? Ha!

  • t July 30, 2015 (1:46 pm)

    average joe, I agree, stolen guns not cool, but who’s to say the other guns went legal, we don’t have all he facts and for med patients that can’t a Ford 17 a gram, they were doing the community a favor. if it was just pot, who cares people,never seen a pot brawl, seen alot of drunk brawls so maybe we should start putting more regulations on bars…oh wait the government already figured out a way to make more money with it being legal federally and that’s what it comes down to the government wants to make money not help people that medically need pot.

  • Karissa July 30, 2015 (11:50 pm)

    Where do I even begin!? I guess I could start by saying have any of you above who are downgrading individuals you have no clue about ever heard “don’t judge a book by its cover.”? Seems to me that a lot of you have different personal opinions about the situation that had occurred. Have any of you heard there are two sides to every story..? To me it looks like a lot of you have forgotten that part. Auto and brake has been in business for years and years. For me to sit here and read all the comments from people who’s opinions really don’t matter to any one but clearly themselves absolutly blows my mind. There is not a single comment on here besides a selected few from customers that are actual loyal customers to this company that are even nessasary to be said. None of you know personally deep down how much these men mean to a lot of people. You have no idea about there home life or how much of a loving and caring environment these men bring to others on a daily basis.Think about it this way.. Has anything bad happened to any of you at this company..? I think not..they take care of their customers and are sure they get the job done right. So until then I don’t think any of you voicing bad opinions on here should have room to state it.Keep it to your self.Any of you who are now degrading Auto and brake because of this should think twice. I can promise you won’t get the sincere customer service experience anywhere else that’s hard to come by now a days. With this being said I love you you are truly an amazing person no matter who disagrees with me or not. You never fail to amaze me and never fail to see me happy. I can’t thank you enough for every thing you do for me and have taught be through out the 21 years of my life you’ve never let me down that’s something I can never repay you for.

  • Karen Lehman August 2, 2015 (10:34 am)

    My husband and I have been getting our cars fixed at Auto and Brake for 25+ years. I can’t count how many times Ray has worked on my car and charged us little, if anything. If he knew we were in a tight place financially, he’d always lower his price- or charged us nothing. They are kind, considerate, helpful men, who helped us countless number of times throughout the years.
    They always had a piece of candy or some sort of treat for the kids as they were growing up, making Auto and Brake a happy memory for them, also.
    Regardless of what they did, (they have not been proven guilty of anything), we will always be grateful for all that they’ve done for us over the years. Hang in there, and know that we’re all pulling for you! We can’t thank you enough-

  • Bradley August 2, 2015 (3:30 pm)

    @Average Joe: Selling pot illegally in a neighborhood full of small children is not ok. This location could have been selling to minors, as well. They had no state license and were under-cutting legal dope businesses who pay taxes, fees, rent, leases, etc. They could have also been attacked/robbed by other illegal dealers who want in on their action. Just because weed is legal doesn’t mean it can be sold anywhere, anytime, to anyone, just like alcohol.

  • joel August 3, 2015 (11:04 pm)

    treats for the kids…..where those homemade brownies?

    with that type of cash seized maybe our property taxes can go down?

  • Rational thinker August 4, 2015 (3:59 pm)

    We all need to take a deep breath and calm down. I am amazed and how one person’s opinion can be taken as fact by somebody else. And then the next person twists it more.
    To read this they were going to go into the meth business next. They’re trying to get the children in the neighborhood hooked on marijuana. They were trading marijuana for guns. None of that is fact. The facts are: most of the guns were found at the owner’s homes. I find it hard to believe that they’re the only business owners in white center to carry a personal gun for protection on them when they go to work. There were no gun fights. They were not selling to underage children trying to get them hooked on marijuana. They did not trade guns for drugs. They sold marijuana to people who are sick, people on their way home from work, people who are tired of dealing with street drug dealers. There were 12 to 15 other marijuana shops in white center selling illegally as well. They got 30 days cease and desist letters. If they didn’t comply the sheriff walked in and told them to shut down. This business did not get a cease and desist letter. They came in with the SWAT team. Which got all of you all lathered up. Then everybody wants to come up with a crime or crimes that are worthy of a SWAT team visit. Can occur to anybody that may be the people were interviewed and released because they site was not nearly as bad as they thought they were going to find? Somebody said that the pot smokers were real bad drivers. If that’s the worst incident you can come up with, t I’d say they were not doing that bad of a service to the neighborhood.
    And I can guarantee you they did not move their operation to South Park. Those people in the parking lot the day after,wee street-level drug dealers taking advantage of the hole created by the closure of the Wolfpack.

  • JD August 14, 2015 (6:30 pm)

    I just had to add my 2 cents on this after seeing this story ( which I missed when it was hot ) I also want to say a positive thing about Ray and Auto and Brake. When I had an issue with one of my
    work trucks during a slow and wet winter, he not only took the time to figure out what was wrong
    ( It was DEAD after hitting that weird dip in the road on Delridge by K-Stem…you know the one!, while towing a chipper) It took him bringing in an
    electrical specialist, and then finding a short in the computer, and, knowing we were tight on money finding a guy in Anacortes who could repair it, rather than making me buy one from the dealer for $800! All this, and when he gave me the truck back, said if you need some more time to pay, just take it and bring the balance in when you can.
    Yeah…that’s the kind of guy he is. Lots, LOTS of people have firearms…your neighbors, friends, family…in all likelihood YOU for some
    readers on here. Some have more than one, some have more than ten. There are pot stores operating in many places….partly because our
    legislature took so long after it was legalized to setup a taxing, licensing and regulation system, so people took advantage of that delay.
    I’m guessing there are other people out there in West Seattle, who have quantities of cash in their house too. Small business owners are probably included, and non business owners are too.
    SO…like someone else said…there are almost always multiple sides to any story. Please don’t be so quick to judge people who have been part of our community a lot longer than many of you…it is a changing place, but there are a lot
    of people who have invested their time, money and
    spirit in it for decades, and they deserve a fair
    hearing from us.

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