King County couple charged with drug lab, illegal gun possession – KIRO 7 News Seattle

SEATTLE — A King County couple was arrested and charged after sheriff's deputies discovered a drug lab, machine guns, explosives and illegal silencers inside their RV.

Both were indicted Wednesday, May 29, for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.

Braiden F. Wilson, 28, was also charged with unlawful possession of destructive devices and unlawful possession of silencers. Wilson and his partner, Chandler B. Bennett, 30, were arrested following a May 12 shooting in rural King County. The U.S. Department of Justice said they would be arraigned next week on a grand jury indictment.

According to the indictment and criminal complaint filed in the case, King County sheriff's deputies first encountered the couple when Wilson was shot in the arm. The police noticed that the camper van was equipped with surveillance cameras and asked for access to the recorded video to identify the attacker. Bennett refused to allow deputies to enter the RV, so they requested a warrant from a King County judge.

When deputies entered the RV, they found a large cache of weapons, fentanyl powder, pills containing fentanyl, and various items associated with pill manufacturing. They also found more than two and a half kilos of fentanyl pills and seventeen firearms, as well as body armor, silencers and ballistic shields.

Deputies also located gun parts made from 3D printers, making them untraceable. Numerous destructive devices, literature on the chemistry and manufacturing of explosives, and literature on how to convert firearms to fully automatic capabilities were also found.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), King County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). ), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Washington State Patrol.

Wilson and Bennet both face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in prison on the possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute charges, as well as heavy fines for their crimes.

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