CLALLAM COUNTY, Wash. — A Kitsap County man was sentenced to five years in prison last week following an Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) investigation into the distribution of illegal narcotics in Clallam County.
36-year-old Dylan Marsh-Backs pleaded guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Fentanyl) and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree, according to a news release from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Marsh-Backs received a 60-month prison sentence, the top of the standard range under Washington State’s Sentencing Reform Act, which will be followed by 12 months of community supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections. He accepted a state plea agreement to avoid federal prosecution.
Two co-defendants in the case, Jonathan Karns and Johnny Watts, declined state plea offers and are now facing federal charges. A fourth defendant is also expected to be charged federally. During the March 2026 investigation, OPNET detectives developed probable cause that Marsh-Backs was traveling from Kitsap County to distribute illegal narcotics in Clallam County while staying at the 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim with several associates.
A coordinated operation involving local law enforcement partners and 7 Cedars Casino surveillance staff led to Marsh-Backs’ arrest. During their search, detectives located 196.37 grams of fentanyl packaged for distribution, a digital scale and packaging materials, and two loaded pistol magazines. A subsequent search warrant on Marsh-Backs’ vehicle located a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition. Marsh-Backs was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including previous firearm and controlled substance offenses.
Search warrants executed during the two-day operation resulted in additional significant seizures. Detectives recovered 261.86 grams of suspected fentanyl, 515.27 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 30.25 grams of suspected cocaine, and 147 Suboxone strips. Additionally, seven pistols, two shotguns, one rifle, drug scales, packaging materials, and nearly $19,000 in cash were seized.
Jonathan E. Karns, a 43-year-old Kitsap County resident, was identified as a second suspect. Detectives recovered a large quantity of fentanyl, a digital scale with residue, documentation of drug sales, a 9mm pistol, and a bolt-action shotgun from a vehicle containing Karns’ luggage. Karns was also prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions, including Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission, Burglary, and felony assault.
Lindsey Heidner, a 41-year-old Key Peninsula resident, was detained during the operation after being found with a 9mm pistol without a concealed weapons permit. Heidner was booked into the Clallam County Jail for Unlawful Carry of a Firearm, and her bond was set at $30,000. A fourth individual was detained and questioned at the scene before being released.
The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) is a multi-agency task force dedicated to investigating narcotics trafficking and violent crime throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties. OPNET extended its appreciation to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Sequim Police Department, Port Angeles Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Peninsula Crisis Response Team, Department of Corrections, and the staff at 7 Cedars Casino, whose cooperation and sophisticated surveillance systems were instrumental in the operation’s success.
Following his release on bail from the Clallam County Jail after his March arrest, Marsh-Backs was arrested again in Kitsap County on similar charges, and that case remains pending.
©2026 Cox Media Group
