A King County woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for drug trafficking activities conducted from an RV near a state park. Chandler Bennett, 30, was arrested after law enforcement discovered a drug lab along with firearms and explosives inside the vehicle. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller.
Bennett and her partner, Braiden F. Wilson, were apprehended following a shooting incident on May 12, 2024, in rural King County. During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King stated: “You were taking deliveries of fentanyl at your mobile home… These crimes were egregious. You distributed a large amount of dangerous drugs.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Miller commented on Bennett's role in the operation: “Ms. Bennett was a key player in the drug distribution activities, negotiating the prices for fentanyl and other drugs from the couple’s supplier.” She further noted that their actions contributed to the ongoing crisis of fentanyl abuse affecting communities.
The investigation by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) began when deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office responded to an incident at an RV near Olallie State Park where Wilson had been shot. Upon arrival, they noticed surveillance cameras on the RV and sought access to video footage but were initially denied entry by Bennett until obtaining a warrant.
Inside the RV, authorities found weapons, body armor, silencers, ballistic shields, and literature on manufacturing explosives and converting firearms to automatic capability. They also discovered over two kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills among other controlled substances.
Further searches of storage units linked to Bennett and Wilson uncovered additional pill presses and drugs including methamphetamine. Records showed that Wilson used his dark web identity for distributing controlled substances more than 2,000 times while earning over $287,000 in cryptocurrency.
Bennett pleaded guilty in October 2024. Prosecutors emphasized how their conduct endangered others in the community: “For the controlled substances she and her co-defendant possessed... they placed park goers at risk.”
King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall praised her office's efforts: “Because of the keen observation and perseverance of our patrol deputies... another criminal contributing to the fentanyl crisis is off the street.”
The case involved multiple agencies including HSI, ATF, USPIS, FBI, DEA with assistance from Washington State Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.