Aberdeen Jail Corrections Officer Charged in Public Corruption Investigation

         UPDATE

The defendant in this case, CHARLES ANDREW STOCKER, was acquitted of the charges described in the press release below following a jury trial in March 2018.

           A corrections officer at the Aberdeen, Washington City Jail will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Tacoma this afternoon, following an FBI investigation into allegations that the corrections officer was tipping-off drug traffickers about law enforcement activities, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. CHARLES ANDREW STOCKER, 49, is charged in a criminal complaint with two counts of aiding and abetting drug trafficking and two counts of misprision of a felony. STOCKER had been on administrative leave since last summer when federal law enforcement served court authorized search warrants on his home and business.

          According to the criminal complaint unsealed today, members of the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force informed the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) about indications STOCKER had been providing sensitive law enforcement information to known drug dealers in the Aberdeen area. During their drug trafficking investigations, Task Force members became aware of allegations that STOCKER had warned a drug dealer about an individual working with law enforcement as a confidential source attempting to purchase drugs. The FBI led investigation uncovered a recording of a jail call that implicated STOCKER in providing this information. In addition, the investigation revealed that STOCKER passed sensitive law enforcement information, including that the Task Force was listening to jail calls, to two other drug dealers who worked together to distribute drugs in the area. STOCKER also allegedly agreed to hold money for one of these drug targets. That target later worked with law enforcement and under law enforcement supervision delivered money to STOCKER for safe keeping. The money was recovered when the search warrants were executed. According to the Complaint, STOCKER made a variety of false statements at the time the search warrants were executed.

          Aiding and abetting a drug trafficking offense is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years. Misprision of a felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 3 years.

          The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

          The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold and Vince Lombardi.