A 44-year-old Puyallup man was sentenced to 11 years in prison last week for his role as a significant narcotic distributor for a drug trafficking organization tied to white prison gangs.
In February 2026, Daniel Hammond was convicted at a trial of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
“These substances have wreaked havoc in our communities,” Chief U.S. District Judge David Estudillo said at the sentencing hearing. “We are not dealing with someone who is just an addict who committed a petty crime; this was not just a one-time decision … the history shows you had a lifestyle living off of this type of conduct.”
Case grew out of a two-year probe into two white prison gangs
In March 2023, the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began a two-year, multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking by members and associates of two predominantly white prison gangs: the Aryan Family and Omerta.
Both gangs, as well as associates outside of the prison, were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, including distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine throughout western Washington and other states.
Throughout the investigation, agents seized an estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, roughly 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms from the conspiracy’s members.
Additionally, during the coordinated arrests of the drug trafficking organization’s members in March 2023, law enforcement seized roughly 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl in both pill and powder form, six pounds of heroin, more than $330,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 177 additional firearms.
“Mr. Hammond played a key role in a widespread and lethal conspiracy to traffic vast amounts of dangerous drugs into Washington state, personally redistributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills on a weekly basis,” W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, said. “Even after his arrest, Mr. Hammond demonstrated a complete lack of regard for the consequences and human toll of his actions, continuing to seek profit at every opportunity by flooding our streets with poison.”
Puyallup man worked closely with a leader of one gang branch
The investigation identified three branches of the gangs involved in drug trafficking. Hammond was one of the key associates of Yehoshua Kilp, a leader of one of the three branches. One year ago, Kilp was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
In asking for an 188-month prison se“Hammond conspired to flood western Washington with massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills,” prosecutors wrote. “These drugs have a devastating impact on the community. Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing — from family members, friends, and complete strangers — to feed their addictions.
“No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities,” prosecutors continued. “More importantly, these drugs destroy the lives of those who use them, and the lives of the users’ families and friends. Those families and friends are prisoners, forced to watch the toll these drugs take on their sons, daughters, parents, or friends.”ntence, prosecutors highlighted the deadly impact of the drugs Hammond spread throughout the community.