Defendant who Fled During Trial for Drug Trafficking Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

One of two King County residents who was convicted, in absentia, of Conspiracy to Distribute Ecstasy in 2009, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to seven years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.  HARDEEP SINGH, 23, formerly of Kent, Washington, failed to appear after the first day of trial.  His co-defendant.  Kaushal Kainth, 25, formerly of Renton, Washington, also failed to appear following the lunch break on the last day of trial.  SINGH was arrested a year ago in Canada.  At the time he was indicted, SINGH had legal status in the United States.  He likely will be deported to his native India following his prison term.  Kainth remains wanted by law enforcement.  At sentencing today U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that the conspiracy was a “large scale operation involving large amounts of drugs that would have an impact on the lives of many in the community.”

According to testimony at trial and records filed in the case, Kainth and SINGH conspired to distribute large amounts of ecstasy.  Over eight days in early May 2009, the men agreed to pay a third man to deliver large amounts of ecstasy and another drug, BZP, to co-conspirators at the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, Washington and in San Jose, California.  Kainth and SINGH did not know the man they offered to pay for the delivery was working with law enforcement.  The man recorded both defendants on audio and video.  In all Kainth and SINGH gave the person working with law enforcement some 285,000 pills worth more than $2.8 million.  The pills were all seized by law enforcement.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Werner.