Evidence seized during the investigation included drugs and firearms connected to the Seattle drug trafficking organization led by Tommy Pham. (Photo: U.S. Attorney - Western District of Washington)
SEATTLE, Wash. — A 39-year-old Newcastle man will spend 10 years in federal prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that supplied fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine to distributors and people living in Seattle homeless encampments, including an area known as “The Jungle” beneath Interstate 5.
Tommy Pham received the sentence Oct. 21 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Prosecutors said Pham supplied drugs to dealers who sold them in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and other areas, including near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin also ordered Pham to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.
During sentencing, Lin addressed the consequences of Pham’s drug trafficking and the firearms he possessed.
“You weren’t only playing with your own life but with the lives of thousands of people for the drugs you were pumping into our community. The combo of drugs and guns significantly increases the risk of harm.”
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin
Investigators Seize 17 Firearms
The investigation began in November 2023, when the Seattle Police Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in Seattle’s homeless encampments and established drug trafficking areas.
Investigators used a court-authorized wiretap to gather evidence of drug distribution and identify members of the organization. Authorities also heard indications of potential violence during intercepted calls and worked to intervene without alerting the investigation’s targets.
In December 2024, investigators found Pham slumped in his car with a loaded 9 mm Glock 19 handgun containing 15 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found eight grams of methamphetamine and $1,322 in cash.
During an arrest operation in January 2025, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and various controlled substances. Authorities recovered five firearms from Pham’s residence and vehicle, along with small amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine at his home.
Officers arrested Pham at a nearby casino, where they found him with methamphetamine, marijuana and a firearm.
Pham pleaded guilty in February 2026.
Prior Prison Sentence Did Not Stop Drug Dealing
Pham previously served a three-year federal prison sentence for a drug conviction, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
“A three-year federal prison sentence did not deter his drug dealing or his illegal possession of high-powered firearms to protect his drug business,” Floyd said. “He continued to prey on those in the International District and surrounding areas, which is a focus for this office.”
Federal prosecutors had requested a 157-month sentence, arguing that Pham’s leadership role and repeated possession of loaded firearms warranted a substantial prison term.
Prosecutors said Pham supplied drugs to both charged and uncharged co-conspirators and repeatedly possessed loaded firearms when law enforcement encountered him.
DEA Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Saccone said Pham targeted people experiencing homelessness in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and The Jungle.
Five Defendants Sentenced in the Case
Pham was the fifth and final defendant sentenced in the investigation.
The other defendants received the following sentences:
Khampheth Keodara, 43, of Seattle: 75 months in prison in April 2026.
- Theodore Nation, 36, of Seattle: 30 months in prison in February 2026.
- Donfeuy Saephan, 55, of Seattle: 120 months in prison in July 2026.
- Sang Tran, 55, of Kent: 66 months in prison in July 2026.
The FBI, Seattle Police Department and DEA led the investigation, with significant assistance from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The King County Sheriff’s Office and Tukwila Police Department also assisted.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal interagency effort established under Executive Order 14159 to investigate and prosecute criminal organizations operating in the United States and abroad.
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