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Meth Kingpin Convicted in Anchorage
ANCHOARGE, AK – A federal jury has convicted a Philippine national for possessing over 1,000 doses of pure methamphetamine and a Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol.
Markanthony Sapalasan, 38, of Anchorage, was found guilty of the charges after a trial in federal court. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anchorage Police Department officers were dispatched to a possible homicide in the early morning of August 25, 2018. They encountered Sapalasan, who was carrying a backpack, and found a pistol in his pants pocket. A subsequent search of the backpack uncovered more than 124.5 grams of actual methamphetamine, worth nearly $12,000 on the street.
The investigation revealed that Sapalasan had text messages coordinating sales of methamphetamine and heroin on his phone. He was subsequently indicted for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in support of a drug trafficking crime.
Methamphetamine continues to wreak havoc on the citizens of Anchorage and across Alaska, said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson, District of Alaska. The conviction of Markanthony Sapalasan is another step forward in ridding the streets of individuals who sell this destructive drug and ruin so many Alaskan lives.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess ordered that Sapalasan be detained pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case, with the assistance of the Anchorage Police Department and the State of Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the government’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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