Plea hearing set for tribal officials charged with trafficking contraband cigarettes

The executive director of the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, along with a former tribal chairman and another tribal official, are expected to enter pleas Thursday on charges alleging they made millions of dollars trafficking in contraband cigarettes.

Former tribal chairman Edward L. Goodridge Sr. — currently the tribe's economic development director — his son, Edward Jr., the current executive director and tribal vice chairman, and Sara Milliron Schroedl, a former member of the tribal council, will appear this morning in U.S. District Court in Seattle on charges of conspiracy and illegal monetary transactions. Also charged is Linda Goodridge, Edward Sr.'s wife.

All four have waived their right to have evidence heard by a grand jury.

The investigation revolved around the Blue Stilly Smoke Shop in Arlington, where state and federal regulators in 2007 seized more than 3.5 million cigarettes without state tax stamps. The day of the raid, prosecutors say the defendants had arranged to buy another 1.8 million cartons — nearly 363,000,000 cigarettes, according to the charges.

Federal prosecutors have moved to forfeit the seized cigarettes, along with nearly $1.3 million in cash seized from various company and personal bank accounts.

The complaint alleges that more than $55 million in revenue from contraband cigarettes passed through Blue Stilly's accounts between 2003 and May 2007, while avoiding payments of nearly $25 million for state tax stamps. The four made at least $15 million in profit, according to charging documents.

A telephone call to Edward Goodridge Jr. at the Stillaguamish tribal office was not immediately returned. Telephone calls to attorneys representing the other defendants were not returned late Wednesday.

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com