Drug Smuggling In Baltimore: Seattle Cop Charged

SEATTLE, WA — A Seattle police officer was among those charged in a drug trafficking case involving transport of marijuana and cocaine to Baltimore, officials announced Monday.

Officer Alex Chapackdee, 44, was one of four men arrested Saturday on charges of conspiring to distribute marijuana. According to court filings released Monday, Chapackdee helped a drug trafficking organization smuggle narcotics and cash between Seattle, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Chapackdee was a member of what the FBI calls the "Tuan Van Le Drug Trafficking Organization." Among other activities, he was allegedly paid $10,000 a month to oversee marijuana grow operations in the Seattle area and $15,000 to transport cash from Baltimore area drug sales back to Seattle.

Appearing alongside Chapackdee in court Monday were fellow defendants Tuan Van Le, Phi Nguyen, and Samath Khanhphongphane. The FBI alleges that Tuan Van Le — Chapackdee's brother-in-law — was in charge of the organization.

The Seattle police department, which helped the FBI, DEA, and Department of Homeland Security investigate the case, has placed Chapackdee on administrative leave without pay. Chapackdee worked as a Seattle police officer for 16 years.

Seattle police Chief Kathleen O'Toole released a statement about the case on Monday calling the officer's conduct "disgraceful and disappointing."

The FBI first learned of the drug organization in July 2015 from a confidential informant, according to charging documents. The informant told the FBI that Tuan Van Le and "6-10 other Asian individuals" would fly from Seattle to BWI to facilitate the sale of cocaine.

The drugs were transported to New York in a truck, and then divvied up, with a portion sent to Maryland, court documents said.

The informant also told the FBI that Tuan Van Le had a brother-in-law working in law enforcement who provided Le with information about investigations that might affect his drug operation and who, along with Nguyen and two others, would drive cash from drug sales from Maryland back to Seattle.

The FBI obtained Chapackdee's travel and financial records, which showed that he regularly made one-way flights to Baltimore, and used his debit card at gas stations along I-90 and I-94.

In April, investigators observed the alleged members of the drug organization unloading boxes at the home of a Maryland man who was known to police - he had two prior federal drug convictions.

Police later stopped the man as he left his home in Maryland; a search of his and another vehicle turned up 184 pounds of marijuana, which the FBI believed was part of a delivery from Le and Chapackdee. That man became a second confidential informant and started recording his phone conversations with Le, which allegedly confirmed that Le fronted the drugs to the second informant in exchange for payment, according to the FBI.

Outside the federal courthouse in downtown Seattle Monday, Chapackdee's attorney, David Gehrke, said that the policeman was shocked by the arrest. He also added that Chapackdee "loved" being a police officer, especially his role as a community liaison.

Le, Chapackdee and the other two defendants will remain in detention until bail hearings scheduled for the end of this week.

Image via Seattle police.

—By Neal McNamara