Criminal Justice

A 30-year-old member of the Lummi Nation Tribe was sentenced Monday to time served and three years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl on the Lummi Reservation. Stephan A. Charlot, represented by defense attorney Jesse Guerrero Cantor, appeared before U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson in the

The legal proceedings for Joseph “Wes” Beeman, the 46-year-old Port Angeles man accused of an attack on his elderly neighbor, remain on hold as the court awaits a competency evaluation report. Beeman was arrested following an alleged unprovoked assault on his 71-year-old next-door neighbor, Robert

A 23-year-old Port Angeles man is facing multiple recommended charges following an alleged high-speed pursuit, a suspected DUI, and a reported domestic violence incident that left three passengers trapped inside a moving vehicle, according to court records. John C. Judy was arrested on Monday, June 1, 2026.

Federal prosecutors formally moved to hold former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny F. Watts Jr. in pretrial detention, classifying him as a serious flight risk and a danger to the community, according to court records. Meanwhile, his co-defendant, Jonathan E. Karns has formally asserted his constitutional rights, halting

Johnny Steven Talbert, the 43-year-old unhoused man arrested in Port Angeles in connection with a 2008 North Carolina cold-case double murder, is scheduled for an extradition review hearing on June 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in Clallam County Superior Court. The upcoming status conference will

Former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny F. Watts Jr. and his co-defendant, Jonathan E. Karns, entered pleas of not guilty to federal drug distribution charges during their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Tacoma this afternoon. The U.S. Attorney’s Office told me that both

A federal criminal complaint provided to The Olympic Herald by the U.S. Attorney’s Office details a multi-agency narcotics investigation that has led to federal drug distribution charges against Johnny F. Watts Jr., a former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator, and a newly named co-defendant, Jonathan E.

The state-level case against former Clallam County Drug Court Coordinator Johnny Watts took a massive turn on Thursday morning, clearing the way for federal prosecution. In a brief status hearing, the State moved to dismiss its local felony charges without prejudice, announcing that the federal government has assumed control

Local law enforcement apprehended a 43-year-old man on a fully extraditable warrant in connection with a 2008 double homicide in Concord, North Carolina. Johnny S. Talbert was taken into custody without incident in the 2300 block of W 18th Street by Port Angeles Police Department officers, with location

Patrick Alan Bucknum, a former healthcare executive and high-ranking local leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been federally charged with wire fraud following allegations that he embezzled more than $30 million from his employer. In April 2019, Bucknum was called to serve as

A 38-year-old Port Orchard man is facing multiple charges after deputies say he crashed his SUV into a ditch, struck neighborhood property, and fled the scene to seek medical treatment early Tuesday morning. According to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the 3700 block of

A 42-year-old Mason County man was arrested Tuesday in connection with an ongoing Internet Crimes Against Children investigation, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was taken into custody without incident at his place of employment Tuesday afternoon. Following the arrest, detectives served a search

A major breakthrough has occurred in the ongoing investigation into the February death of a 73-year-old Clallam County resident, with authorities arresting a 46-year-old Port Angeles man on murder charges following a massive, multi-agency operation. Clinton Laverne King was taken into custody without incident on

Law enforcement officials made a significant move on Monday in the ongoing investigation into the February murder of 73-year-old Clallam County resident Danny Kendrick. On May 11, Clallam County Sheriff’s Detectives, aided by the Peninsula Crisis Response Team and the Port Angeles Police Department, executed a high-

A sprawling child molestation and exploitation investigation by the Vancouver Police Department continues to widen, resulting in the arrest of a third suspect. This latest development follows the recent arrest of a Vancouver man and the suicide of a prominent local pediatrician connected to the case. According to a recent

A former Vancouver foster parent who housed dozens of children over a 12-year span has been arrested and faces numerous severe charges, including child molestation and rape, authorities announced. Darold A. Slack was booked into the Clark County Jail following an investigation spearheaded by detectives from the Vancouver Police

A response to a reported death threat on Wednesday afternoon escalated into a major narcotics and weapons seizure, leaving one man behind bars and Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies searching for a second suspect. Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Bethel Burley Road SE at approximately 12:15 p.

A 20-year-old Ellensburg man was arrested on an attempted murder charge late Wednesday night after allegedly stabbing an acquaintance in the neck and subsequently crashing his getaway vehicle into a telephone pole. At 10:13 p.m. on May 6, Kittitas County deputies were dispatched to a residence

A homicide investigation is underway in Lewis County after a man was found dead with obvious signs of trauma on Tuesday afternoon, leading to the swift arrest of a suspect. According to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at approximately 1:15 p.m. to the 1500

A sprawling child exploitation investigation by the Vancouver Police Department has resulted in the arrest of a Vancouver man and the death of a prominent local pediatrician, who was found deceased of an apparent suicide just a day after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest. The investigation, which

Yesterday morning, Benton County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Robert Jesus Santana-Morales, 32, booking him into the Benton County Corrections Department. According to Benton County jail records, Santana-Morales was booked at 4:59 a.m. and is accused of two counts of violating a protection order. The alleged offenses