Seattle, WA. — A 43-year-old Seattle man has been sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in homeless encampments and the city’s International District.
Khampheth Keodara was sentenced April 15, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Seattle after pleading guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Authorities said Keodara sold drugs in areas including “The Jungle,” a large homeless encampment beneath Interstate 5, and near 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street.
At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin emphasized the harm caused by the drugs, noting their devastating impact on the community. Prosecutors said Keodara repeatedly avoided prison time in prior King County cases by entering drug treatment programs, but failed to complete them and continued dealing drugs while enrolled.
The investigation began in November 2023 and involved the FBI, Seattle Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Using court-authorized wiretaps, investigators gathered evidence of a broader drug trafficking network operating in encampments and high-traffic drug areas. Recorded calls indicated Keodara was distributing large quantities of narcotics, including discussions about supplying a pound of methamphetamine.
During coordinated arrests in January 2025, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and quantities of multiple controlled substances. Officials said some suspects were armed, and intercepted communications suggested potential violence.
Federal prosecutors sought a longer sentence, citing Keodara’s criminal history and repeated failures in treatment-based sentencing alternatives. Officials described his actions as targeting vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Keodara is the second defendant sentenced in the case. Others who have pleaded guilty are scheduled for sentencing later this year as the broader investigation continues.
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