10 arrested after undercover cops pose as students
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Police here said a seven-month investigation that included undercover officers posing as high school students ended Thursday with 10 arrests.
Federal Way police spokeswoman Stacy Flores said eight juveniles and two adults were arrested for investigation of selling illegal drugs and firearms. Flores said three other juveniles and one adult, who still remain at large, will also be charged in the investigation.
Flores said two police officers were enrolled as students at Federal Way High School, Decatur High School, and Todd Beamer High School. School district officials and principals were aware of the officers' presence, she said.
The undercover cops, who are 33- and 29-years-old, spent nearly $6,500 purchasing weapons and drugs from students.
Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson said the undercover officers expressed an interest to other students that they wanted to buy illegal drugs, and that several of the people arrested as a result of the investigation were students.
Kelvin Crenshaw, special agent in charge of the local branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the undercover gun purchases were "carefully orchestrated to take place off school property."
Officials said the officers were able to purchase marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine, oxycodone, and several handguns and rifles.
All eleven students have been placed on emergency expulsion. The youngest student charged in the case is 13 years old.
Anastasia Equihua-Equihua said her niece was one of the nine students arrested in the sting operation. The 17-year-old niece was set to be the first person in her family to graduate high school in two weeks.
"I gave her money for graduation, prom, and all that money wasn't even spent on anything to buy anything for school," she said.
The two arrested adults have been identified as 18-year-old Sarrel Kim and 26-year-old Brian Kelley. Kim, a Decatur student, is accused of selling a .38-caliber revolver to an undercover officer. Police said Kim and several others had outside contacts.
"We will not tolerate guns, or drugs to be trafficked in our schools and we will seek to aggressively punish people who would seek to do so," said prosecutor Mark Larson.
Flores said none of the weapon sales took place on campus, and said the investigation did not produce any evidence of students bringing guns to school.
On April 19, two students were arrested when one of them showed up with three loaded handguns at Todd Beamer High School. The weapons had been stolen from the home of a state trooper by the trooper's son.
The discovery of the weapons on the campus prompted a brief lockdown.
Officials said the student who brought the loaded weapons to class told investigators he had no plans to harm anyone, but that he intended to sell the handguns.
Federal Way police spokeswoman Stacy Flores said eight juveniles and two adults were arrested for investigation of selling illegal drugs and firearms. Flores said three other juveniles and one adult, who still remain at large, will also be charged in the investigation.
Flores said two police officers were enrolled as students at Federal Way High School, Decatur High School, and Todd Beamer High School. School district officials and principals were aware of the officers' presence, she said.
The undercover cops, who are 33- and 29-years-old, spent nearly $6,500 purchasing weapons and drugs from students.
Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson said the undercover officers expressed an interest to other students that they wanted to buy illegal drugs, and that several of the people arrested as a result of the investigation were students.
Kelvin Crenshaw, special agent in charge of the local branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the undercover gun purchases were "carefully orchestrated to take place off school property."
Officials said the officers were able to purchase marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine, oxycodone, and several handguns and rifles.
All eleven students have been placed on emergency expulsion. The youngest student charged in the case is 13 years old.
Anastasia Equihua-Equihua said her niece was one of the nine students arrested in the sting operation. The 17-year-old niece was set to be the first person in her family to graduate high school in two weeks.
"I gave her money for graduation, prom, and all that money wasn't even spent on anything to buy anything for school," she said.
The two arrested adults have been identified as 18-year-old Sarrel Kim and 26-year-old Brian Kelley. Kim, a Decatur student, is accused of selling a .38-caliber revolver to an undercover officer. Police said Kim and several others had outside contacts.
"We will not tolerate guns, or drugs to be trafficked in our schools and we will seek to aggressively punish people who would seek to do so," said prosecutor Mark Larson.
Flores said none of the weapon sales took place on campus, and said the investigation did not produce any evidence of students bringing guns to school.
On April 19, two students were arrested when one of them showed up with three loaded handguns at Todd Beamer High School. The weapons had been stolen from the home of a state trooper by the trooper's son.
The discovery of the weapons on the campus prompted a brief lockdown.
Officials said the student who brought the loaded weapons to class told investigators he had no plans to harm anyone, but that he intended to sell the handguns.