Home Seattle Press Releases 2009 35-Year-Old Spokane Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Conspiracy
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

35-Year-Old Spokane Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Conspiracy

U.S. Attorney’s Office May 12, 2009
  • Eastern District of Washington (509) 353-2767

SPOKANE, WA—James A. McDevitt, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Daniel Allen Flaherty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and agreed to be sentenced from 22 years to 25 years in prison. He has been detained since his arrest on October 1, 2008. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2009.

According to the plea agreement, Daniel Flaherty was a multi-pound distributor of methamphetamine since 2004. He had been receiving methamphetamine from a large family based drug trafficking organization operating out of Tri-Cities, Washington. On October 1, 2008, agents seized over 4 ½ pounds of methamphetamine from Daniel Flaherty’s storage unit in the Spokane Valley. In all, Daniel Flaherty agreed the United States could prove that he was responsible for the distribution of over 33 pounds of methamphetamine while he was a member of the conspiracy. He agreed to forfeit personal property and over $23,000 seized from his bank account.

James A. McDevitt, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, said, “This case exemplifies the fine cooperation of our law enforcement partners. Forty four defendants were charged in this conspiracy; from the street dealers to the Mexican suppliers. Over 30 pounds of methamphetamine and over $700,000 in cash have been seized.”

Because Daniel Flaherty has a prior felony drug conviction, he faced a minimum penalty of twenty years and up to life imprisonment, up to an $8 million fine, and 10 years to life term of court supervision after release. The United States will seek a 25-year prison sentence.

This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Spokane Regional Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tri-Cities Metro Task Force, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Police Department, the Kennewick Police Department, the Richland Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Police Department, the Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and the Social Security Administration. This case is being prosecuted by Earl Hicks, Stephanie Van Marter, and Russell Smoot, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.