Court sentences Puyallup man for possession of 98,000 fentanyl pills, five handguns
A federal judge sentenced a Puyallup man Friday to six and a half years in prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of it.
Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced 25-year-old Emmanuel Xavier Hunter in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.
Court documents show that Hunter pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Auburn Police Department used a confidential source to buy fentanyl pills from Hunter in two instances, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They arrested him in November 2022.
They found 98,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, about 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine and five handguns at his Puyallup home and downtown Seattle apartment, according to the news release.
In Hunter’s plea agreement, he admitted to carrying a Glock pistol with an auto-sear – so it can act as an automatic weapon – in furtherance of his drug trafficking, according to the news release.
Court documents show that Hunter wrote a letter to Estudillo the day before his sentencing, expressing his “sincere remorse” for the actions that brought him to court. Hunter said in the letter that he wants to make positive changes in the future.
“I am truly sorry for the damage that I have caused. I would like to apologize to the community. I am committed to using this time to continue learning from my mistakes and to contribute positively to society in any way I can,” Hunter said in the letter.
Hunter will be on five years of supervised release after he serves his sentence, according to the news release.
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