Bellingham man sentenced for role in drug ring that trafficked fentanyl in Whatcom County
A Bellingham man who pleaded guilty to several charges involving guns and drugs received a 10-year sentence March 29 in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
Daniel Faix, 39, was one of six people charged federally in a months-long investigation of fentanyl dealing in Whatcom County, according to court records. He was arrested in April 2023. He pleaded guilty in January to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Faix is a convicted felon and isn’t allowed to have a firearm.
The ring was actively moving fentanyl from the Seattle area to redistributors in Bellingham, according to a DOJ news release issued March 29. Law enforcement officers observed various drug transactions and interdicted the drug loads. In one instance, law enforcement was called to a convenience store, where two people involved with the drug ring overdosed on fentanyl and had to be revived and taken to the hospital.
In asking Judge Richard A. Jones to impose the 10-year-sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hobbs wrote to the court, “The Court is certainly aware of the dangers that these drugs – particularly fentanyl – pose to those who use them. And Faix must be aware of the harm caused by these drugs as his own life has been consumed and upended by drug use. Ultimately, Faix – for whatever reason – was willing to personally profit from the distribution of an addictive and often deadly controlled substance.”
One other member of the drug ring has been sentenced: 33-year-old Ahbdurman Ahmed of Seattle was sentenced in January to six years in prison. On Wednesday, defendant Natasha Parkhill, 38, of Bellingham, pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in July. Defendant Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed, 35, of Seattle pleaded guilty in January and is scheduled for sentencing in June. Defendant Matthew Anderson, 35, of Bellingham, is scheduled for trial in July. Defendant Robel Sisay Gebremedhin, A/K/A Robel Sisay Gebremedhui, 41, of Burien, is being sought by law enforcement.
In a 2020 Bellingham Herald article about a previous arrest, police told The Herald that Faix had been arrested 39 times on suspicion of theft, trespassing, possession of drugs with intent to deliver, burglary, obstructing law enforcement and other charges, all in Whatcom County.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol and the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.
