By Islands’ Sounder staff
Federal authorities have arrested Orcas Island High School graduate Denali Wood, 23, and her boyfriend, alleged drug ring leader Todd Hamilton, 34, and charged them with conspiracy to distribute black tar heroin and crystal methamphetamine in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties.
“The couple distributed extensive amounts of heroin and methamphetamine in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties,” the U.S. Attorney’s office announced on Dec. 22.
“During a court authorized wiretap investigation, the conspirators discussed their drug deals, how to launder drug money, and the beating one drug customer received when he failed to pay a debt,” said US attorney Jenny Durkan. “Information obtained during the course of the investigation revealed how Hamilton used a Washington State Department of Corrections officer to try to get information regarding law enforcement knowledge of him and his girlfriend. That corrections officer resigned his position earlier this year and has now been charged in the drug conspiracy.”
The case is being investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as local law enforcement. San Juan County sheriff Rob Nou declined to comment on whether county detectives are involved in the investigation.
“Through this investigation investigators have learned that many of Wood’s customers and re-distributors live on the San Juan Islands,” read court documents. “Wood is believed to originally be from Orcas Island, which explains why she has so many contacts there.”
Orcas School District superintendent Barbara Kline confirmed that Wood came to Orcas High School from Lynden High School in 2003, graduating with the Orcas High class of 2006.
“This is very surprising,” said Kline, saying Wood’s high school years were uneventful.
In 2006 Wood received a $500 Orcas Island Education Foundation scholarship; a $500 President’s Scholarship from Western Washington University; and was offered a matching $2,500 aviation scholarship by the AirHawk Aviators, which she failed to complete.
Wood and Hamilton lived on Bellingham’s Darby Drive, and extensive investigative surveillance and cell phone tapping indicates that the two have conducted many drug deals from their residence and in the parking lots of nearby businesses like Bellis Fair, Walgreen’s and Fred Meyer.
In court documents, DEA special agent T. Lance Wheeler writes that Wood has her own clientele of customers and re-distributors. Wood and Hamilton were recorded discussing the best ways to melt down and repackage heroin for resale, financial arrangements for drug deals, and customer’s abilities to pay. The recordings indicate frequent transactions with suppliers involving cash exchanges of $10,000 to $20,000.
Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 2, investigators believe Hamilton received 57 ounces of heroin and 6.5 pounds of meth from Guillen and Rodriguez, paying them $104,650.
The official complaint states that Elido Jesus Guillen and Israel Jasso Rodriguez, alleged drug suppliers; former state corrections officer Christian Benjamin Knight; and Anton Robert Moore, Gary Dean Aardema, Brandon Monroe Fisher, Rosie Castaneda, Frants Trushkov, Timothy James Gardner, Andrew Medina, alleged redistributors, “conspired to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.”
Investigators initially identified 16 suspects; some are affiliated with or members of an Aryan Nation “White Supremacist” gang known as “8854” or “Hated.”
Code words used in wiretapped conversations include “paper” and “checks” to refer to money; “strap” for a gun; “Q” for quarter ounce of drugs; “Go” for meth; “clear” for meth; and “ferria” for cash.
Knight, the former corrections officer, was recorded agreeing to help Hamilton with drug deliveries in exchange for $3,000 per month. There is evidence that he accessed law enforcement databases to pass information on to Hamilton, and once physically helped Hamilton remove drugs from his residence in the middle of the night and move them to a storage unit he rented on Hamilton’s behalf.
Trial dates
Durkan requested on Dec. 20 that Wood and Hamilton be kept in custody due to the following factors: drug offense with a maximum sentence of 10 years or more; serious risk the defendant will flee; serious risk of obstruction of justice, including intimidation of a prospective witness or juror;
At Wood’s detention hearing on Dec. 23, she pled not guilty to all charges. Wood was released after she signed an Appearance Bond agreeing to travel restrictions, pretrial supervision, drug testing and other conditions. She must complete in-patient treatment at a facility, and participate in an active Global Positioning Satellite Program. A jury trial is set for Feb. 27.
Failure to appear in court is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If Wood commits a felony while on release, her sentence could be increased by another 10 years.
Hamilton’s detention hearing was held Dec. 27. He pled not guilty to all charges, and was remanded to custody. His jury trial is also set for Feb. 27.
Background on Wood and Hamilton
US Attorney’s office public affairs officer Emily Langlie said Wood has been released into the custody of her grandfather, Herbert Lehfeldt.
Wood’s grandmother, nurse Constance Lehfeldt, passed away in 2010. Constance’s obituary in the Lynden Times lists “Barbara Chenoweth (Randy) of Lynden” as her daughter. Whatcom County case records indicate that in 2003, Lynden residents Barbara Joyce Wood and Randal Lee Chenoweth were found guilty of manufacturing and possession of methamphetamine.
Wood’s Facebook page — under activities and interests, Wood lists “cash” and “sleep.” Her favorite tv shows include Law and Order and CSI.
Hamilton, who was on probation with the Department of Corrections at the time of his arrest, has a lengthy criminal history that began with allegations of assault as a juvenile and includes at least 62 arrests, some for violent crimes. He has been the subject of prior narcotics investigations, assault investigations and other violent crimes investigations.
Hamilton’s Facebook page lists his employer as “up and down the interstate,” his education as “Washington State Department of Corrections, Class of 2001,” and his high school as “roaming the streets.”
He commented on his profile page on Sept. 14, “freedom has been good to me so far.”
