Judge Denies Karns' Bid for Pretrial Release to Drug Treatment

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Jonathan E. Karns must remain jailed pending trial, denying a defense motion seeking his release to an inpatient drug treatment program.

U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright issued the ruling following a 2:30 p.m. hearing at the Tacoma federal courthouse. 

After hearing arguments from Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyne Vaught, Assistant Federal Public Defender John R. Carpenter, and Karns himself, Judge Cartwright denied the motion for review of his detention order and remanded the 44-year-old to custody.

The decision means Karns will not be released to a 30-to-45-day program at American Behavioral Health Services, as requested by his defense. 

The ruling upholds a June 15 detention order initially handed down by Magistrate Judge Grady J. Leupold.

Karns was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 10 alongside Johnny Watts Jr., the former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator. 

Karns faces three federal counts tied to a March 12 warrant operation at the 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn: possessing 40 grams or more of a fentanyl mixture with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possessing a Glock 48 9mm pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In arguing for release, Carpenter drew a pointed comparison to Watts, who was freed on bond in June despite allegedly being tied to 680 grams of drugs—more than 13 times the amount attributed to Karns. 

The defense also argued that Karns’ recent record largely consisted of addiction-related misdemeanors and that he was motivated to stay clean by his four-year-old son.

Prosecutors, however, maintained that Karns' history showed he was not amenable to court-imposed conditions. 

Vaught noted that at the time of the March casino operation, Karns was on probation for a 2023 protection order violation out of Port Orchard Municipal Court, had violated that probation twice, and had drawn a bench warrant in February for failing to appear at a review hearing. 

The government also emphasized the lethality of fentanyl and the danger of allegedly trafficking drugs while armed at a busy casino.

According to the government, detectives watching the March operation saw Karns carry a distinctive red backpack from a casino hotel room to a Lexus. 

A search of the vehicle yielded the backpack, which crime lab testing showed contained 43.67 grams of fentanyl, a scale, drug paraphernalia, and the handgun. 

The defense has noted that no drugs or firearms were found on Karns himself at the casino and that the Lexus did not belong to him.

If convicted, the fentanyl charge carries a five-year mandatory minimum sentence, while the firearm-in-furtherance count would add a consecutive mandatory five years.

Both Karns and Watts have pleaded not guilty. A jury trial is currently set for Aug. 17 before Judge Cartwright.