Month-long investigation leads to arrest of suspected Bellingham drug dealers

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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BELLINGHAM - A month-long Bellingham police investigation has resulted in the arrest of several people alleged to be street-level drug dealers who worked mostly in downtown.

After businesses downtown complained about the presence of drug dealers, the department's special investigation unit spent most of October building cases against the alleged dealers, according to department spokesman Mark Young.

This included using informants to purchase the drugs while detectives watched the transaction or listened to it via a recording device concealed on the informant, according to charging documents filed in Whatcom County Superior Court.

Detectives also worked undercover and purchased drugs directly from the dealers, according to charging documents.

The deals involved street-level amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.

During the investigation, detectives obtained a warrant to search a residence in the 2500 block of Racine Street and found crack cocaine, heroin, prescription medication, cash and a loaded handgun.

Arrested on various drug charges were:

Nathan Michael Smith, 23;

Jonah Walter Marriott, 23;

Brian Joseph Gregory Johnson, 23;

Chase David Taylor, 20;

Danny Raye Dokes, 50;

Brandie Kay Oldham, 26;

Calvin Ralph James, 23;

Antini Joseph Saselli, 21;

Desiree Marie Mork, 27; Shannon L. Lane, 33; and Jan Szczygielski, 26.

More arrests are expected because several additional people are wanted on drug charges, according to Young.