Sammamish Papa John's Employees Dealt Cocaine: Police

SAMMAMISH, WA - A group of Sammamish Papa John's employees were allegedly selling an illicit off-menu item: cocaine. The King County Sheriff's Office on Friday said that officers had arrested five people in connection to an alleged cocaine-dealing operation out of the local fast-food pizza joint. Two of the accused dealers are from Bellevue, the rest are from Sammamish and are all under 20.

Last December, Sammamish police got a tip that employees of the Papa Johns along 228th Avenue Northeast were selling coke and would make transactions in the restaurant's parking lot. Police began making undercover drug buys, and were eventually introduced to other drug dealers in Sammamish and Bellevue.

On Friday morning, police served search warrants related to the investigation, and arrested: a 21-year-old from Bellevue; a 26-year-old from Bellevue; an 18-year-old from a house along the 242nd Way Southeast in Sammamish; a 19-year-old at a home along 204th Avenue Northeast in Sammamish; and an 18-year-old from Sammamish who turned himself in to police.

On Friday, police collected $28,000 in cash, a vehicle, and drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, oxycodone, LSD, and methamphetamine. Police also swabbed for cocaine inside the Papa Johns and found the drug on multiple surfaces there. The restaurant worked with King County Health to clean up the drug residue.

Papa John's sent Patch.com the following statement about the arrests:

"Papa John's has zero tolerance for this type of offensive and illegal behavior. The franchisee has confirmed that the employees involved with this situation are no longer employed and we apologize for their actions. The franchisee is working in full cooperation with local law enforcement to resolve this matter. Furthermore, food safety and sanitation is of the utmost importance to Papa John's. The franchisee took immediate action steps, with Health Department oversight, and the location was cleared to reopen."

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