Fifteen indicted, arrested as feds bust King County cocaine ring

Federal agents have arrested 15 people and seized at least $40,000 in cash in raids on a King County cocaine ring following a yearlong investigation.

The raids were made early Thursday morning, and some of those arrested have significant criminal histories, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The amount of cocaine that was seized had not been determined as of late Thursday, officials said.

A grand jury returned a 19-count indictment against the group on Wednesday, including charges of conspiracy, cocaine distribution and weapons violations. At least a dozen defendants made initial appearances Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Court.

"Drug trafficking and firearms are a deadly mix," U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Sullivan said. "The ATF Violent Gang Task Force is targeting those who prey on our communities. The conversations recorded on the court authorized wire tap make clear the threat posed by those willing to protect their drug network with violence."

The 15 defendants encompass all races and ethnicities, and the group served as a distribution ring for other Seattle-area gangs, Sullivan said.

According to the indictment, investigators monitored cocaine deals by the group involving as much as two kilograms, about 4.4 pounds.

Shawn Piper, 38, and Nicola Kilcup, 36, are accused of selling crack and powder cocaine from their residence and from Piper's business, Extreme Auto Detail in Seattle. Throughout the probe, Piper, Kilcup and others sold cocaine to confidential informants, and many of the sales were captured on audio and video, investigators wrote.

Other defendants were identified as Gary Kilcup, 39, of Edmonds; Jose Morales-Victoria, 37, of Des Moines; John House, 38, and Paul Peterson, 38, of Burien; Christopher Scott, 33, of Kent; and Cedric Barquet, 37, Tanfred Russell, 36, Lavelle Daniel, 31, Deandre Offord, 31, Daima Anderson-Ross, Jermaine Satterwhite, 34, Alicia Sykes, 36, and Jodie Taylor, 35, all of Seattle.