Ex-convict-turned-community leader arrested for possessing enough fentanyl to kill 278,000 people
This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
A man was arrested on 11 felony charges on March 14 after a traffic stop along 75th Street Southeast in Everett.
The suspect was identified as Percy Levy, 54, according to Snohomish County Jail documents obtained by The Lynnwood Times — a man who previously served approximately 20 years behind bars before working in criminal justice reform after he was granted executive clemency by Governor Jay Inslee in 2019. Levy was working as a community outreach specialist for the Washington Defender Association (WDA) and was on the Board of the Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County chapter as Treasurer.
Additionally, he founded the Everett-based automobile vendor known as Redemption Auto.
'Percy's personal journey of redemption is mirrored in the ethos of Redemption Auto,' Levy's bio on Redemption Auto read. 'Each car represents resilience, second chances, and the transformative power of embarking on a new path.'
More on MyNorthwest: Three people killed in wrong-way crash on I-5 in South Thurston County
According to The Lynnwood Times, the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force led a 16-month-long investigation into Levy before his arrest last week.
Officials who were a part of the investigation found 2,818 grams of powder cocaine, 14.7 grams of rock cocaine, and 556 grams of fentanyl within Levy's residence. They also recovered a pistol, packaging material, and a digital scale — signifying intent to distribute, according to the investigation.
The 556 grams of fentanyl recovered is enough to kill approximately 278,000 people — one-third of Snohomish County's population — according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Levy faces two felony charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, one felony charge of possession of a stolen firearm, and eight separate counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
More on MyNorthwest: 5-year-old found dead in bed, child was sleeping with a parent
He spent 17 years in jail after attempting a robbery of a 'drug house' before he was granted executive clemency by Inslee in 2019 — who made the verdict in response to the 2021 State v. Blake decision, which ruled possession of controlled substances was to be reclassified as a misdemeanor.
Levy is currently being held on a $1.5 million bond.
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