Anthony Raymond Dodd, a 36-year-old from Seattle with a string of prior convictions, was found guilty again, this time on charges of fentanyl possession with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, with sentencing set for October 20. Following a three-day trial, jurors delivered the verdict after about six hours of deliberation, the case punctuated by the discovery of drugs and a loaded handgun in the car Dodd was driving prior to his check-in with a community corrections officer, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Under surveillance on February 22, 2024, corrections officers watched Dodd enter and leave a meeting, where he apparently dodged questions about drugs and guns, this sequence of events leading to the search of his vehicle where officers unveiled bags of fentanyl pills and a firearm, which had Dodd’s DNA profile present on it; Dodd’s residence yielded additional cash and drugs, and investigators identified a text on Dodd’s phone that requested “blues,” a known street term for fentanyl pills. Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson argued in the trial that Dodd “was the only person in that car, he was the last person in that car,” a narrative at odds with Dodd’s defense, which claimed ignorance over the vehicle’s contents, suggesting he had borrowed it from a friend without knowledge of the contraband inside, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Alongside the drug and firearms charges, Dodd also faced a separate jury decision concerning his possession of the firearm due to his status as a convicted felon, with a swift guilty verdict adding to his legal woes. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this series of convictions could mean Dodd faces a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars for the drug offense and at least another five years for the weapons charge, in addition to potential time for unlawful firearm possession, which can carry a penalty as high as fifteen years…