A 25-year-old Puyallup man, Emmanuel Xaiver Hunter, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison on charges of drug trafficking and possessing a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced the sentencing, which took place in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Caught in possession of nearly 100,000 fentanyl pills and five firearms, Hunter was identified as a drug trafficker back in October 2022 and faced the court this year after his arrest in early November. According to a statement obtained by the Department of Justice, he entered a guilty plea in April 2024.
During the sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo emphasized the gravity of Hunter's actions. "These were very serious crimes and very serious firearms that you had,” the Judge noted, expressing concern about the potential damage from the firearm, an automatic Glock pistol, Hunter was armed with when apprehended. Upon searching Hunter's home and apartment, they discovered the fentanyl pills designed to look like oxycodone, a stash of fentanyl powder, a kilogram of cocaine, and the handguns.
The investigation into Hunter's criminal activities was a collaborative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Auburn Police Department. The DEA, along with a confidential informant, managed to purchase fentanyl pills from Hunter before obtaining a search warrant for his properties and arresting him. Hunter's plea agreement includes an admission of carrying the firearm, a violation that comes with a mandatory minimum five-year sentence to be served consecutively with his drug trafficking sentence.
