Former Seattle cop pleads guilty to cross-country weed smuggling operation

Published: Nov 27, 2017, 2:43 pm • Updated: Nov 27, 2017, 5:54 pm

By The Associated Press

SEATTLE — A former Seattle police officer has pleaded guilty for his role in smuggling hundreds of pounds of marijuana to Baltimore.

Alex Chapackdee, who spent 16-years on the force, resigned shortly after his arrest in May. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said after his plea Monday prosecutors would recommend the minimum sentence of five years when he’s sentenced next March, though he could face up to a maximum of 40 years.

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According to his plea agreement, the 44-year-old Chapackdee conspired with his brother-in-law, Tuan Van Le, of Maple Valley, Washington, and two others to transport the drugs and launder the proceeds. He made cross-country trips in his recreational vehicle in September, October and November of last year.

Investigators said they began looking into him after a confidential source reported that his brother-in-law had been paying him $10,000 a month to keep an eye on marijuana grow houses and to provide him with information about law-enforcement activities.

Topics: illegal marijuana operation, police, seattle, smuggling, Washington