(The Center Square) – A prominent Seattle area community activist and advocate for young people has pleaded not guilty in a federal indictment that accuses 17 people in several states – most of them in Washington – of taking part in a drug trafficking and money laundering scheme.
Matelita “Marty” Jackson, known for her activism and leadership position with Seattle’s Boys & Girls Clubs, is now facing charges that could put her away for life if convicted.
Other members of Jackson’s family, including her husband and children, are also named in the indictment unsealed last week.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, law enforcement last week fanned out across the country – including western Washington – arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints that followed a two-year investigation.
The complaint alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County and may be linked to several other fatal fentanyl overdoses.