MICHAEL MCCONNELL, 26, of Everett, Washington, ALEX BRAND, 23 of Everett, Washington, and COREY MARQUARDT, 28, of Marysville, Washington, were each sentenced Friday, October 12, 2007, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to prison terms for participating in a pharmacy burglary and drug distribution ring centered in Snohomish County, Washington.

MICHAEL MCCONNELL was found guilty of burglarizing a Pharmacy Express located in Cave Junction, Oregon in August 2004. MCCONNELL was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years federal supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the pharmacy for the value of the drugs taken and for damage done to the pharmacy during the burglary. MCCONNELL traveled from Snohomish County to Oregon in order to commit the burglary. MCCONNELL acted as “lookout” while another co-conspirator broke into the pharmacy. The pharmacy’s stock of oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and amphetamines, was stolen and transported back to the State of Washington where the drugs were distributed.

ALEX BRAND was found guilty of conspiring to distribute oxycodone, and other controlled pharmaceutical substances. BRAND was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years federal supervised release. BRAND’s criminal conduct was committed over a two-year period from 2004 to 2006, in Everett, and elsewhere, and involved his distribution of oxycodone, methadone, morphine, hydrocodone, diazepam, and clonazepam, which he was acquiring from other co-conspirators and distributing to others. In addition, on February 14, 2006, Tulalip Police officers conducted a traffic stop of BRAND while he was operating a vehicle. On the car seat next to BRAND was a loaded Taurus .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In the back seat was a backpack containing packages of the above pills, including oxycodone, which BRAND possessed in furtherance of the conspiracy. Also in the backpack, was a loaded .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver.

COREY MARQUARDT was found guilty of distributing hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance. MARQUARDT was sentenced to 4 1/2 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years federal supervised release. During 2006, in Snohomish County, MARQUARDT received quantities of Vicodin, containing hydrocodone, from other co-conspirators which he proceeded to sell to others.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NW HIDTA), the Marysville, Washington Police Department, the Everett Police Department, the Tulalip Police Department, and the Josephine County, Oregon Sheriff’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald J. Friedman.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.

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