BREMERTON, Wash. — Authorities made three arrests as part of an investigation into a large-scale, prescription pain pill distribution operation that also yielded guns and marijuana plants.
Police said during the course of a two-week investigation, numerous Percocet pills were purchased from a Bremerton man identified as 30-year old Ryan A. Brown on two different occasions.
Percocet is a Schedule A drug, and illegal possession or distribution is a felony.
On Wednesday, detectives with the Special Operations Group, an undercover team which includes personnel from Bremerton and Poulsbo police departments, arrested Brown while he was parked at a restaurant parking lot near Wheaton Way and Sylvan Way.
Officers said Brown was arrested with about 100 pills as he was completing another Percocet sale with a woman who was in his car.
Investigators said another woman was parked nearby waiting to buy pills from Brown.
Detectives obtained search warrants for Brown’s vehicle and home located in the 300 block of East 29th Street. During a search of the home, a large safe was found that contained two handguns, four rifles, including an AK-47 assault rifle, about 500 Percocet pills with a street value of about $18,000 and more than $100,000 in cash.
A stolen handgun was also found under Brown’s pillow, according to police.
Also in the home was what police said was a large marijuana grow operation of more than 100 plants. Because Brown possessed a medical marijuana authorization, detectives seized all but 15 plants.
Brown was booked into the Kitsap County Jail on charges of possession of a stolen firearm, three felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and manufacturing a controlled substance.
He was later released for medical reasons.