Maurice Malabed, David Christensen Indicted in Meth Trafficking Bust

Two Anchorage men are facing federal charges in a high-stakes methamphetamine trafficking scheme destined for Utqiaġvik, one of Alaska’s most remote communities. Maurice Abad Malabed, aka “Moe,” 47, and David Patrick Christensen, 29, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The indictment follows a December 7, 2016 sting operation in which law enforcement intercepted a parcel addressed to Christensen containing approximately four ounces—nearly 113 grams—of meth. Authorities conducted a controlled delivery, watching as Malabed and Christensen took possession of the package outside Christensen’s Anchorage residence. Both were arrested on the spot.

According to the criminal complaint, between November 29 and December 7, 2016, Malabed orchestrated the shipment of roughly 135 grams of methamphetamine from California to Anchorage with Christensen’s assistance. Investigators say the drugs were ultimately bound for Utqiaġvik, formerly known as Barrow—a destination that underscores the reach of drug networks into isolated Arctic communities.

The charges carry severe penalties: each count comes with a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison, along with fines up to $5,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Hattan, who presented the case to the grand jury, emphasized the federal government’s aggressive stance on drug trafficking, particularly when it targets vulnerable, rural populations.

The investigation was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Alaska State Troopers Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (AST SDEU), and the North Slope Borough Police Department (NSBPD). Their collaboration highlights the multi-agency push to disrupt narcotics pipelines feeding Alaska’s interior and northern regions.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Both Maurice Malabed and David Christensen are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. They are entitled to a fair trial, at which the government must prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.