A 27-year-old Kent man received a six-year prison sentence for his role in a violent drug trafficking organization.
Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” was sentenced to six years in prison for two counts of illegally possessing firearms, according to a Monday, Aug. 11 U.S. Department of Justice press release.
In addition to Ahmed, Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 36, was sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge John H. Chun ordered each man to serve three years of supervised release following prison.
Over the course of the year-long investigation law enforcement seized more than 19 kilograms of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash, according to the press release. In the arrest operation targeting the group in October 2024, law enforcement seized over 50 firearms to include fully automatic weapons and handguns with Glock switches; thousands of rounds of ammunition, including high-capacity drum magazines, and armor-piercing rounds; several hundred thousand dollars of bulk cash and jewelry; 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine.
Each of the defendants sentenced played different roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Ahmed was identified as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy. One of the charges relates to guns he possessed on Aug. 20, 2023, at the time of a fatal shooting at a hookah bar in South Seattle. Ahmed was injured in the shooting and three others were killed.
Ahmed was also involved in a shooting on May 4, 2024, at a First Hill neighborhood apartment in Seattle. Surveillance video captured Ahmed pointing a gun at the victim. Ahmed is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2022 conviction for illegally possessing and publicly discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting. When law enforcement served search warrants in this case, they seized two additional Glock firearms from Ahmed’s residence.
Wondimagegnehu was identified as a member of the conspiracy and helped to staff an apartment on the edge of Seattle’s University District that was a known drug distribution location, according to the press release. One of the leaders of the conspiracy was gunned down at that location in June 2024. Nevertheless, Wondimagegnehu continued to distribute drugs from that location after the fatal shooting. The murder is still under investigation.
When law enforcement searched Wondimagegnehu’s residence in October 2024, they found eight firearms, various narcotics and drug proceeds. Wondimagegnehu also had a money counting machine for handling his drug proceeds.
In all, 14 defendants were arrested in connection with this drug trafficking organization and these are the first two to be sentenced, according to the press release. Seven additional defendants have pleaded guilty and have sentencing hearings in the months ahead. One defendant remains a fugitive.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
