This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
A 50-year-old Seattle man has been sentenced to 7-and-a-half years in prison for drug trafficking and carrying a firearm as part of the crime, acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced.
Phuong Nguyen Le was arrested after a drive-by shooting in Seattle’s International District in February 2023 and was indicted in May 2023. Le was arrested with a loaded firearm and had fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on him. He fired several shots from his car in the Little Saigon neighborhood at the intersection of 10th Avenue South and South King Street. The presiding judge said Le’s actions posed a significant risk to the community.
“Local and federal law enforcement continue to work to increase safety in the International District. This case exemplifies our collaboration with the King County Prosecutor’s Office and the Seattle Police to pursue federal prosecution where it has the most impact,” said acting U.S. Attorney Miller.
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Drug trafficking were among the charges stemming from the 2023 shooting
Seattle Police officers responded to reports of shots fired in the Little Saigon neighborhood on February 24, 2023. Witnesses reported seeing a man in a white Mercedes firing a handgun into the air. Police located the vehicle nearby with Le driving and his girlfriend in the passenger seat.
Prosecutors emphasized the danger posed by Le’s combination of drug distribution and firearm possession, stating, “Le’s actions placed the community at significant risk and warrant a substantial custodial sentence.”
Le will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. He has prior convictions, including a 2012 conviction for cocaine distribution and a 2020 sentence for illegal firearm and drug possession.
The Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
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