EVERETT — Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, Peggy Rud woke to heavy pounding at her door.
“Everett Police Department, search warrant, open the door!”
Nearly a dozen heavily armed officers dressed in camouflage uniforms, helmets and bulletproof vests quickly put Rud, 37, in handcuffs. The arrest came after a federal grand jury indicted her on drug trafficking charges.
Investigators arrested 16 career criminals this week in Everett during what federal officials are callings the “Snohomish County Gang Project.”
“The dominos are falling,” Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.
Five people, including Rud, were arrested on federal drug and weapon charges. Another 11 people were arrested on suspicion of violating state drug laws. Police are still looking to bring five more people into custody.
The arrests capped a nine-month investigation by Everett police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF.
The goal was to round up gang members, street thugs, drug dealers and their customers in the Casino Road-area and other parts of Everett, said Kelvin Crenshaw, ATF special agent in charge. Police wanted to hit the alleged lawbreakers in their wallets by arresting those responsible for big-time distribution of drugs and guns.
Investigators used a variety of sophisticated techniques including undercover operatives and video surveillance to build their cases.
It was the first major effort of the newly reinstated Everett police Anti-Crime Team, and the first time ATF’s Violent Gang Task Force has focused its efforts in Snohomish County.
“Casino Road for so long has been plagued by criminal activity and gangs,” Crenshaw said. Now, he hopes to make the south Everett area safer for children.
“We will remain steadfast to weed out the bad so that the good can grow,” he said.
Casino Road was marked by violent crimes last year, including a shooting death at an apartment complex and gang-related gunfire in a city park where a Little League team was practicing.
“It’s going to take our efforts with ATF, FBI and other federal partners to take care of this problem,” Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf said.
Still, Everett police have been building their ranks. Last year, when Everett city officials gave the go-ahead for the police department to hire additional officers, police have slowly been rebuilding the anti-crime team.
Unlike patrol officers who typically spend their time responding to 911 calls, the anti-crime team is specially trained and sets its sights on disrupting significant criminal operations, said Sgt. Jim Duffy, who heads the squad.
“It’s like having an All-Star team,” he said. “We’re going to be able to have a real significant impact.”
Duffy said he invited the federal agents to Everett to target drug and weapon problems associated with gangs who operate near Casino Road.
During the weeklong sweep, at least three drug houses were shut down, more than a half-pound of heroin was taken out of circulation, and a crude, fully automatic machine gun was purchased by undercover agents on Casino Road. Police also seized large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and cash.
Federal agents bring additional resources including surveillance and wire-tapping authority, Scharf said. Plus, when federal cases can be made, the consequences can be more severe.
“They’re in and out of the state system pretty fast,” the chief said. If convicted of federal crimes, the bad guys face 10-, 20-, 30-year sentences.
“They’re off the streets for a long time,” Scharf said.
Rud, the woman arrested in her pajamas Tuesday morning, faces at least five years behind bars if convicted as charged. The top punishment could be 40 years in prison plus $2 million in fines and four years of supervised released, said Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle.
The 16 arrests this week are just a beginning, Scharf said.
“We’re going to continue to have problems,” he said. “This is not something that’s going to go away.”
Crenshaw said federal agents are available to come back to Snohomish County.
“When there’s is an issue, I am not opposed to our task force participating,” he said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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