Longview Club Owner Christopher Lonnie Reid Sentenced for Meth Dealing

Crime boss Christopher Lonnie Reid, 52, was handed a five-year prison sentence and mandatory supervised release by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton in Tacoma, Washington. Reid’s downfall stems from his role in the distribution of methamphetamine within the Longview community.

The sentencing followed Reid’s guilty plea in October 2012, acknowledging his involvement in meth dealing. His arrest came after a meticulous undercover operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Narcotics Task Force.

U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan announced the sentence, emphasizing the destructive impact of meth distribution on communities. ‘This crime destroys the fabric of a community brick by brick,’ Judge Leighton declared at sentencing.

Records indicate that Reid was distributing meth to an individual working with law enforcement as early as October 2010. His hotel business, the Smallwood Hotel, is also under scrutiny for its role in housing drug addicts, contributing to his conviction.

In their sentencing memo, prosecutors highlighted Reid’s dual role in both renting rooms to drug users and distributing drugs. ‘Reid’s drug dealing, combined with his operation of a hotel for drug addicts, is an aggravating factor,’ they wrote.

The DEA and the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Werner. Reid’s fate underscores the relentless effort to combat organized crime and drug trafficking in Washington State.