Large Marijuana Smuggling Ring Broken Up 11 Suspects In Custody, Six Others Sought In Tonasket Area Drug Operation

One of the largest marijuana smuggling rings ever broken in Eastern Washington is detailed in federal indictments unsealed Wednesday.

The case involves thousands of pounds of marijuana, worth millions of dollars, hauled from north-central Washington into Canada, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl Hicks.

“We’re alleging this smuggling operation has been ongoing for the last 10 years,” he said.

Ten suspects are in custody and six others, including three Canadians, are being sought, Hicks said.

A 17th suspect is in federal prison on a previous drug conviction.

A 39-count federal indictment alleges Roy B. Stoddard, of Tonasket, Wash., headed the ring.

The investigation has been under way at least three years and involves the FBI, the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs Service, Internal Revenue Service and the North Central Washington Drug Task Force.

“One witness tells us that in just three years, she personally converted $1 million in Canadian money into U.S. funds for marijuana purchases,” Hicks said.

The marijuana was grown in homes of the conspirators and their friends, some of whom have been convicted and now are cooperating with authorities, Hicks said.

Most of those involved live in rural homes near Tonasket, in Okanogan County near the U.S.-Canadian border.

When their home-grown supplies grew scarce, the conspirators turned to contacts in the Tri-Cities, who supplied them with Mexican marijuana, Hicks said.

The pot was smuggled into Canada at various places, including the remote Nighthawk, Wash., border crossing, the federal prosecutor said.

“On other occasions, they actually took mule pack teams carrying the marijuana into Canada” at secret border crossings where there were no guards, Hicks said.

Stoddard and his wife, Jacqueline Stoddard, were arrested Tuesday and arraigned Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Cynthia Imbrogno.

Also arraigned were John L. Verbeck, Walter “Casey” Zachman, John C. Marcille, Keith Jenkins, Virginia Heath and Roger N. Cutchie. All those defendants, whose ages weren’t immediately available, live near Tonasket or Oroville, Wash.

They were ordered held in jail until detention hearings Monday.

Kevin H. Cochran was arrested in the Seattle area and Michel Belanger was apprehended in the Florida Keys. They will be returned to Spokane.

, DataTimes