Sunday, 23 November 2008

Gary Kilcup, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sister, Nicola Kilcup, 36, got a 12-year sentence and her husband, Shawn Vanell Piper, 38.

Gary Kilcup, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sister, Nicola Kilcup, 36, got a 12-year sentence and her husband, Shawn Vanell Piper, 38, was given a 13-year sentence.Gary Kilcup appeared before U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik on Friday. His sister and brother-in-law were sentenced last week.Prosecutors sought a lengthy sentence for Gary Kilcup, noting that he has prior convictions for manslaughter and drug trafficking. Still, Kilcup told Lasnik Friday that "I'm about as dangerous as Santa Claus," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.Lasnik told Kilcup that he had abused the public's trust for the last time. One more offense after this 15-year stretch, the judge said, and Kilcup will go away for life."You don't get the benefit of the doubt when you have abused the trust of the community repeatedly," the judge said.Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took down the organization last year, arresting 15 people and seizing drugs and firearms.They dubbed the investigation "Operation Clean Ride" since some of the drugs were being sold out of Kilcup's business, Extreme Auto Detail in South Seattle.The agents said the case was unusual because the Kilcups and Piper were older than most of the drug dealers they run across.When Kilcup was arrested in March, according to court documents, he was in possession of cocaine and packaging materials. He later confessed to moving at least 20 pounds of cocaine over the past year.Agents mounted a series of controlled drug buys during the investigation, and captured many of them on videotape. They also tapped a telephone, on which they recorded Kilcup making drug deals even after his initial arrest.
Much of the drugs were being sold to gang members, who were reselling them

0 comments: