Sitka Drug Queen Sentenced: 15 Years for Fentanyl Ring

ANCHORAGE, AK – Karly Fuller, 31, of Sitka, Alaska, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after being sentenced today for her central role in a ruthless drug trafficking operation that flooded Southeast Alaska with fentanyl. Fuller will also serve three years of supervised release following her incarceration, a paltry addition considering the devastation her crew wrought.

Court documents paint a chilling picture of a criminal enterprise born inside Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in 2022. While serving time, Fuller connected with a co-conspirator who allegedly recruited her to distribute drugs upon her release, all under the direction of an inmate pulling strings from a California prison. Released in July 2022, Fuller immediately went to work, building a network of at least five individuals to push poison throughout the region.

One of Fuller’s key lieutenants was Stormy Cleveland, 39, of Ketchikan. Cleveland acted as a direct distributor, carrying out Fuller’s orders and ensuring the fentanyl reached the streets. Federal agents intercepted three shipments destined for Cleveland in Sitka between November and December 2022, revealing a staggering total of over 15,500 illicit fentanyl pills. This wasn’t a small-time operation; this was a deliberate attempt to saturate the Alaskan market with a deadly substance.

But the trafficking wasn’t the only crime. Fuller wasn’t just moving drugs, she was laundering the dirty money that fueled the operation. Between April 25, 2023, and July 15, 2023, she participated in at least 95 financial transactions, funneling over $99,500 through the system. This isn’t just about addiction; it’s about greed and a calculated disregard for human life. Several co-defendants have already faced justice. Larry Marsden, 43, of Ketchikan, received 66 months and three years supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and money laundering on December 9, 2024. Cleveland, sentenced March 25, 2025, will spend 135 months behind bars with five years of supervised release following. Julia Brusell, 43, of Ketchikan, received time served and two years supervised release for her role in money laundering.

Other pending and resolved cases include Mario Klanott, 38, of Sitka, who faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty June 13, 2025. Douglas Vanmeter, 44, of Sitka, received 40 months imprisonment and three years supervised release after a May 8, 2025, guilty plea. Sara Orr, 34, of Ketchikan, is scheduled for sentencing September 9, 2025, also facing up to 20 years. Patricia Seal-Uttke, 32, of Ketchikan, faces the same potential sentence with a sentencing date of October 29, 2025, after pleading guilty June 25, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon announced the sentencing, noting the unusual circumstances of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska was recused, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the Northern District of New York appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to handle the matter. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division, a clear sign of the scope and seriousness of this cross-state operation. This case serves as a grim reminder that the fentanyl crisis reaches even the most remote corners of America, and those who profit from it will face the full force of the law.