A Mexican national with alleged ties to drug trafficking won’t face murder charges for his part in a gunbattle that ended with an Everett man’s death.
Snohomish County prosecutors believe Hector Francisco Diaz, 28, was protecting himself when he opened fire and repeatedly shot Raymond O’Gorman in a south Everett apartment in November.
During an apparent robbery attempt, O’Gorman came to the apartment, pointed a pistol at people inside and ordered them to lie on the floor.
A short time later, Diaz, armed with a .357 handgun, shot O’Gorman five times, according to court records. O’Gorman also fired a round, from a .45-caliber pistol, prosecutors wrote.
“It appears that it was a justifiable homicide and Diaz was acting in self-defense when he shot O’Gorman,” Snohomish County deputy prosecutor John Adcock said.
Diaz’s troubles, however, are far from over.
Diaz, who is in the U.S. illegally, recently was indicted on eight federal charges for allegedly selling large amounts of methamphetamine to undercover detectives from the South Snohomish County Drug Task Force.
The task force along with the Drug Enforcement Administration opened an investigation into Diaz’s alleged drug sales a few months before the shooting in Everett.
On seven separate occasions Diaz sold large quantities of crystal meth as well as cocaine to undercover detectives, according to court papers.
“Our information was that the meth was coming from Mexico, likely from superlabs,” said Lynnwood police Sgt. Jim Nelson with the task force.
Police say there has been a steady decline in meth labs in the last three years. The majority of meth in the county is being imported from superlabs, typically run by Mexican drug organizations.
The organizations are running multiple drugs, including cocaine, heroin and meth, Nelson said.
The task force’s drug investigation came to an abrupt end after Diaz reportedly shot O’Gorman.
Diaz had left behind his cell phone and detectives were unable to reach him, according to a search warrant. Informants, however, told police that Diaz continued to deal meth, court records said.
Investigators searched Diaz’s Kent apartment and recovered some drugs and guns. He was arrested there and charged in Snohomish County Superior Court with four drug charges.
Those charges were dropped after he was indicted in federal court.
If convicted, Diaz could be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison, according to special assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Cornell.
“He was a substantial dealer in the area,” Nelson said. “We couldn’t get more on him after the shooting.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing newstips@heraldnet.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to letters@heraldnet.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.
