Seattle activist, family arrested over fentanyl drug trafficking ring: feds

The Department of Justice has charged a prominent left-wing Seattle activist with drug trafficking and money laundering. Matelita "Marty" Jackson, 49, of Renton, Washington, has been accused of being involved in a fentanyl drug trafficking ring that operated out of her home. Investigators said the illicit drug ring is family-operated, and several other members of Jackson's family have also been indicted, according to the DOJ press release.

Marty Jackson, executive director of youth restorative justice nonprofit SE Network SafetyNet, was arrested on Oct. 2 following a two-year multi-agency investigation. Court documents allege Jackson's role in the scheme was using her personal accounts to launder dirty money earned from fentanyl dealing.

Prosecutors said the Jackson family drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits his time between Atlanta and his parents' home in Renton. Mandel Jackson, 50, who is Marty's husband, has also been indicted, as have Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Investigators said Markell Jackson was the "main supplier." Records filed in the case link several of the Jacksons to a Seattle street gang.

According to the Justice Department, the Jackson family distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Their fentanyl distribution has been linked to four overdose deaths on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County, located in northwest Washington near the US-Canada border.

"This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days," said US Attorney Tessa M. Gorman, "Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug."

Richard Collodi, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office, said: "The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country. This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today's operations by disrupting this source of supply."

Additionally, court records show that Marty's husband and her kids used the home to store firearms and illicit drugs. Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine, 29 firearms, and more than $116,000 in cash.

"Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year," said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. "Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO, and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community."

David Reames, Special Agent in charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division, said in the press release: "The Drug Enforcement Administration's top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities. This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause."

Prosecutors described Marty Jackson as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Jackson gained notoriety in Seattle last year after speaking out against gun violence following a mass shooting in a grocery store parking lot. She became the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County SE Network SafetyNet Program, which is a police reform effort that pushes for youth restorative justice instead of incarceration or other forms of punishment. However, Jackson has since been scrubbed from the website.

A spokesperson for the Seattle Mayor's Office told the Seattle Times that the city has given Jackson's program $1,185,322.

Furthermore, Jackson's SE SafetyNet Program has a partnership with Rainier Beach High School and holds "restorative justice circles" at the school, which has been riddled with youth crime, as an alternative form of discipline. Seattle Public Schools said that it has halted working with Jackson's program in the wake of the indictment.

Authorities said Markell Jackson is a fugitive on the run and is being sought by law enforcement. Marty Jackson and Miracle Patu-Jackson were released on bond. Marquis and Mandel Jackson remain in custody. At least 17 people were arrested during the police operation, with 14 of them receiving indictments.