Alleged drug dealer to downtown Seattle, Aurora, ID, and homeless encampments indicted for drug and gun crimes

Press Release

Found with significant narcotics and firearms twice in six months

Seattle - A 48-year-old Seattle area man is in federal custody tonight after being indicted by a grand jury for two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Simon Offord is allegedly linked to drug dealing in multiple Seattle neighborhoods and in various homeless encampments. Searches of his vehicles and a Shoreline hotel room resulted in seizures of significant quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and Alprazolam.

Offord was arraigned on the indictment on July 8, 2024, and detained on July 11, 2024.

According to police reports and other records filed in the case, Offord came to the attention of Seattle Police patrol officers in December 2023 when he drove the wrong way down a street in Seattle. Before police could contact him, he abandoned the car he was driving in a parking lot. Inside the car officers saw what appeared to be drugs. After getting a warrant to search the vehicle they found drugs packaged to for delivery, scales, and other indications of drug dealing as well as a 'ghost gun'- one made without a serial number.

Over a number of months, Seattle Police looked for Offord and ultimately tracked him to a Shoreline hotel, just off of Aurora Avenue. On May 30, 2024, Offord was arrested at one of his dealing locations along Aurora in North Seattle. A search of his hotel room and vehicle yielded nine pounds of fentanyl powder, approximately 2900 fentanyl pills, and more than a pound of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. Police also seized another firearm. Offord was booked into the King County Jail but later was released on bail.

Due to the large amount of drugs involved in these seizures, the crimes are punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime adds an additional five years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

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Updated July 15, 2024