A Tacoma man has been dealt a 52-month sentence for his role in distributing heroin and fentanyl to inmates at the Federal Detention Center SeaTac, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office announcement. David A. McKean, 37, faced charges stemming from sneaking in and providing drugs within the prison, ultimately leading to two near-fatal overdoses among the prison population.
McKean, who attended a supervised release hearing back on September 8, 2023, had the drugs on him at the time and presumably swallowed the narcotics-filled balloons before entering the Federal Detention Center SeaTac. He then proceeded to share the drugs with other inmates—a decision which resulted in two serious fentanyl poisonings that prompted emergency responses from both fellow inmates and prison staff who administered life-saving doses of naloxone.
The sequence of events leading to the overdoses and McKean’s sentencing unraveled quickly after his court appearance. The first poisoning incident occurred on the night of September 9, followed by another the next morning, which required hospitalization of the affected inmate. In response to these incidents, Bureau of Prisons staff conducted a search of McKean’s cell, revealing a stash of heroin, fentanyl, suboxone, and other contraband. These discoveries were detailed in the plea agreement.
Alongside the drug smuggling conviction, McKean was also dealing with repercussions from 28 supervised release violations for a prior federal conviction, leading U.S. District Judge John H. Chun to impose a sentence that combined four months for those violations with an additional 48 months for providing contraband in prison, as summarized by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller.
The investigation into the drug distribution within the detention center was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
