Kent man among 2 sentenced in violent Seattle-area drug trafficking case

Two Seattle-area men – including one from Kent – described as significant members of a violent drug trafficking organization were each sentenced to six years in federal prison Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

Khaliil Ahmed, 27, of Kent, and Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, 36, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Both were tied to a year-long investigation that recovered more than 19 kilograms of fentanyl, 12 firearms, and more than $130,000 in cash.

“These are serious offenses,” U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said in court, noting that Ahmed’s firearm charges carried a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Ahmed, also known as “Bossup,” pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally possessing firearms. One charge stemmed from guns in his possession during an August 20, 2023, fatal shooting at a South Seattle hookah bar that left three people dead and injured Ahmed. Another involved a May 4, 2024, shooting at a First Hill apartment, where surveillance video showed him pointing a gun at a victim. Ahmed was prohibited from owning firearms due to a 2022 conviction for discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting.

Wondimagegnehu, also known as “Jon,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Prosecutors said he helped operate a drug distribution apartment in Seattle’s University District, even after a leader in the organization was shot and killed there in June 2024.

In total, the multi-agency investigation — part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation — seized over 50 firearms, including fully automatic weapons and Glock handguns modified with switches, thousands of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity drum magazines, armor-piercing rounds, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry, and additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.

“These cases highlight the ongoing danger posed by armed drug traffickers in our communities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller said in a written statement.

Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the case. Seven others have pleaded guilty and await sentencing, while one defendant remains a fugitive. Trial for alleged leader Ali Kuyateh, 50, of Seattle, is expected in spring 2026.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Seattle police, the King County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, FBI, DEA, ATF, and numerous other local, state, and federal agencies.