SEATTLE MAN SENTENCED TO 5+ YEARS IN PRISON FOR DRUG AND GUN CRIMES
Defendant Sold Crack Cocaine During Brother’s trial for Cocaine Dealing
ERIC BARQUET, 31, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 63 months in prison and four years of supervised release for distribution of crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. BARQUET came to the attention of law enforcement in May 2009, when he sold crack cocaine to a person working with law enforcement. BARQUET engaged in the drug sales, during the same period of time when his brother, Cedric Barquet, was on trial for drug dealing. Cedric Barquet was sentenced last February to 12 years in prison. At sentencing today Chief Judge Robert S. Lasnik said to BARQUET, “how you could sit in this courtroom and watch Cedric go down on a 12 year prison term and still sell cocaine is mind boggling.... It’s awful.”
According to records filed in the case, BARQUET sold crack cocaine to a person working with law enforcement on four different occasions in May and November 2009. BARQUET also was involved in gun sales to the same person, who is a convicted felon. In December 2009, BARQUET supplied five hand guns to an intermediary, who then sold them to the person working with law enforcement. BARQUET is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. BARQUET was arrested in April 2010, and pleaded guilty on September 15, 2010.
In asking for a significant sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi noted that BARQUET appears unable to learn from his brother’s experience. BARQUET’s “actions shows that he was not easily deterred from engaging in criminal activity. Indeed, if watching his brother be charged, tried and convicted was not going to deter Defendant from engaging in criminal activity, it is difficult to imagine what would, other than incarcerating Defendant for a significant period of time. Unfortunately, that appears to be necessary,” Mr. Lombardi wrote in his sentencing memo.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.
