Two owners and managers of crime-ridden motels in Tukwila, Washington, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maintain drug involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
Jaspal Singh, 37, and Kulwinder Saroya, 42, both of SeaTac, Washington, admit they knowingly operated drug involved premises at the Travelers Choice Motel and Great Bear Motor Inn, and profited from the drug activity there.
The men agree to forfeit the two motels, their home in SeaTac, more than $265,000 seized from their home and bank accounts, and a 2007 Mercedes Benz.
This means that all three motels shut down and seized by federal agents in August 2013 will be sold by the U.S. Marshals Service.
“We will use all of our tools to seize criminal proceeds, protect the public and hold people accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Since we shut these motels, the number of police calls to the immediate area has dropped by one-third.”
Last week, a third defendant, Lakhvir Pawar, 41, the manager of the Boulevard Motel on Tukwila International Boulevard, pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit any interest in that motel as well as more than $90,000 he accumulated from the criminal activity.
All three men will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on February 28, 2014. The government has agreed to recommend no more than a year in prison for each defendant, but the judge is free to impose any sentence up to the maximum 20 years allowed by law.
The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department, used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity.
Singh and Saroya admitted they would collect or would direct their staff to collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. They would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances, the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way.
Singh and Saroya also admitted they collected additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
The men have agreed to forfeit their properties and assets, totaling over $265,000.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Jaspal Singh and Kulwinder Saroya
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to Maintain Drug Involved Premises
City and State: Tukwila, Washington
Date: February 28, 2014 (sentencing)
Sentence: To be determined, with a recommendation of no more than 1 year in prison
Dollar Amounts: $265,000 and $90,000
Related Federal Cases
- ARNOLDO MENDOZA RAMOS, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Washington 2013 · Alaska
- Martin Briand, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Washington 2009 · Virginia
- Glen Adam Romero, Jr., Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Arizona 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Ramon Otero Jr., Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, Arizona 2021 · Pennsylvania
- James Edward Sweat, Operating Significant Drug Trafficking Ring, Virginia 2023 · Virginia
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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