Bellingham man sent to federal prison for role in Whatcom, Skagit drug trafficking network

The last of several men charged in federal court for their roles in a drug trafficking network responsible for distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs in Whatcom and Skagit counties has been sent to prison.

U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King sentenced 42-year-old Adam Wisniewski, of Bellingham, to eight years in prison, with four years supervised release, Wednesday, April 3 in the Western District of Washington in U.S. District Court. Wisniewski previously pleaded guilty Dec. 1 to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to federal court records.

King also recommended Wisniewski be admitted into the Bureau of Prisons’ residential drug treatment program for his drug addiction, noting that Wisniewski’s life “had been somewhat of a revolving door of offenses and imprisonment,” according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

Wisniewski also had controlled substance and firearm-related charges in Whatcom County Superior Court, but those were dismissed in late February because of his guilty pleas in federal court, county records show.

Wisniewski was a distributor in 2022 for a drug trafficking organization operating in Whatcom and Skagit counties led by supplier Enoc Martinez Lopez, aka “Victor”, 29, of Marysville.

Wisniewski’s arrests

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force started surveilling various members, including Martinez Lopez and Wisniewski, in April 2022.

On April 18, 2022, law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance of Martinez Lopez at the Silver Reef Casino in Whatcom County.

Officers saw a man, later identified as Wisniewski, get into Martinez Lopez’s vehicle, before the vehicle drove to a nearby gas station. Wisniewski and Martinez Lopez stayed at the gas station a short while, then returned to the casino. Wisniewski got out of the vehicle, and Martinez Lopez drove away, according to court records.

Officers later saw Wisniewski drop an object onto the ground as he was walking away from the casino. The object was determined to be blue pills marked with “M30” and was suspected to be fentanyl.

Wisniewski was then arrested.

Officers found approximately 233 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, 68.75 grams of fentanyl powder, which was purple in color, and a Harrington & Richardson Heckler and Koch HK4 handgun on Wisniewski following his arrest, the court documents state.

In an interview with law enforcement officers, Wisniewski told them he had met with “V” earlier in the day and obtained 1,000 “blues”, or fentanyl pills, and a sample of purple-colored fentanyl powder. Martinez Lopez, who went by “Victor” with his drug trafficking associations, was determined to be “V.”

Wisniewski was then released following his interview with law enforcement, court documents state.

Two months later, on June 23, 2022, the Everson Police Department, with assistance from the Whatcom sheriff’s office, arrested Wisniewski in Everson.

At the time of his arrest, Wisniewski was found to be in possession of a Sig Sauer Model P320 Carry handgun and a Ruger LC9S semi-automatic pistol. Law enforcement also found approximately 60 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, federal records state.

Wisniewski requested to speak with a drug task force member, and provided information about drug supplier Martinez Lopez. Wisniewski showed law enforcement officers a phone number stored in his phone as “Big Dog V”, later identified as Martinez Lopez.

Law enforcement officials later obtained a search warrant in August 2022 for records associated with several phone numbers Martinez Lopez was using to conduct drug transactions, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.

The search warrants in part allowed law enforcement to further identify and track the drug trafficking organization, court documents show.

In total, law enforcement seized roughly 11.5 kilos of fentanyl pills, 2.8 kilos of fentanyl powder, 5.7 kilos of cocaine, 1.6 kilos of heroin, 8.7 kilos of crystal meth, more than $186,000 in cash and nine firearms throughout the course of the investigation, according to the DOJ press release.

Others sentenced

Wisniewski was the last of the members of the drug trafficking network charged in federal court to be sentenced for their respective roles in distributing drugs across Whatcom and Skagit counties, federal records show.

▪ Martinez Lopez, the supplier for the network, was sentenced Dec. 6 to eight years in federal prison, with four years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

▪ Casey Landis, a distributor, was sentenced Jan. 17 to seven years in federal prison, with three years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

▪ Jesse Lee Witteveen, 38, of Maple Falls, a distributor, was sentenced March 27 to six years in federal prison, with four years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

▪ Anthony Gunderson, a drug trafficking associate, was sentenced March 20 to three years, five months in federal prison, with three years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and unlawful possession of a firearm.

▪ Corbin Saunders was sentenced Aug. 25 to two years in prison, with three years supervised release. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. His federal prison sentence will concurrently with his prison sentences for several county cases involving controlled substances, stolen vehicle possession, identity theft and second-degree theft, among other charges.

▪ Manuel Garcia Munoz pleaded guilty April 26 in federal court to one count of distribution of heroin. He was accepted May 19, 2023 into the federal Drug Reentry Alternative Model, or DREAM, program. If Garcia Munoz successfully completes the DREAM program, his federal court case will be dismissed with prejudice. If he is terminated from the program, a federal sentencing for his conviction will occur. Garcia Munoz progressed to phase three of the program at a hearing March 22. His next status hearing is set for April 26.