TACOMA, WA – A Renton, Washington man was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, including a machine gun and a silencer. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, where Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo presided.
Shawn Ellis, 32, was arrested in March 2023 following a two-year investigation into a drug distribution ring linked to Aryan prison gangs. According to court documents, Ellis acted as a redistributor, obtaining and selling large quantities of narcotics. He reportedly ordered up to 30 pounds of methamphetamine at a time.
When federal agents arrested Ellis, they discovered buckets of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine in his vehicle, along with cocaine and counterfeit Xanax. Authorities also seized four firearms, including a machine gun disguised in a violin case, two loaded pistols, and a shotgun. Ellis was found with body armor and controlled a storage shed containing five more firearms, a homemade silencer, ammunition, cash, jewelry, and other valuables linked to his drug activities.
Ellis has two prior felony drug convictions, making firearm possession illegal for him. Prosecutors requested a 15-year sentence, emphasizing the threat posed by Ellis’ possession of multiple weapons alongside narcotics.
The arrest was part of a coordinated takedown on March 22, 2023, involving more than 350 law enforcement officers and ten SWAT teams. The operation resulted in 24 federal arrests and the seizure of 177 firearms, significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, along with more than $330,000 in cash.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) led the investigation, with support from the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and multiple state and local law enforcement agencies.