Marysville Gunrunner Heather Chancey Admits Trafficking

SEATTLE – Heather Chancey, 34, of Marysville, Washington, has confessed to running a dangerous operation that flooded the streets with firearms and methamphetamine. Chancey, also known as Heather Lee Slater, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to unlawful dealing in firearms, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and distribution of methamphetamine. This isn’t just about guns; it’s about a repeat offender actively choosing to arm criminals.

The bust, the result of a months-long undercover investigation launched in July 2013, revealed Chancey as the ringleader of a four-person conspiracy. According to the indictment, between October 2012 and January 2013, Chancey and her crew repeatedly sold weapons to an undercover law enforcement agent. The preferred location? The parking lot of the Tulalip Resort Casino in Marysville, a convenient spot to peddle illegal goods. Other sales took place in parking lots across Marysville and Arlington, and even at a private residence.

What makes this case particularly damning is Chancey’s prior record. She was already prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2001 conviction for methamphetamine possession – a fact she clearly disregarded. The arsenal she trafficked was alarming: two sawed-off shotguns, thirteen standard shotguns (some with obliterated serial numbers), twenty-one rifles (again, some serial numbers scrubbed), and four handguns. This wasn’t about sport; it was about arming individuals who would undoubtedly use these weapons for illicit purposes.

In her plea agreement, Chancey admitted to not only making the sales herself but also brokering deals between the undercover officer and her accomplices. The greed didn’t stop at firearms, either. On October 1, 2012, Chancey attempted to sell methamphetamine to the same undercover officer while simultaneously offering a firearm. A one-stop shop for criminal activity, courtesy of Heather Chancey.

Federal authorities are recommending a sentence of seven to ten years in prison for Chancey, when U.S. District Judge James L. Robart hands down the sentence on February 3, 2014. However, the judge is not bound by this recommendation and could impose the maximum sentence allowed by law: forty years. The investigation was a coordinated effort by the Snohomish Regional Gang and Drug Task Force, the Seattle Police Department, and the FBI, with assistance from ATF, the Snohomish County Violent Offender Task Force, and the U.S. Marshal’s Violent Offender Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham is prosecuting the case, ensuring that Chancey faces the consequences of her actions. This conviction sends a clear message: those who profit from the illegal gun trade and drug distribution will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice. The streets of Snohomish County – and beyond – are a little safer with Chancey behind bars.