Bellingham man arrested for allegedly trafficking meth, unlawful possession of firearms

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted the Washington State Department of Corrections on July 12 on the arrest of a Bellingham man for suspicion of trafficking methamphetamine and firearms charges.

Cory James Budde, 35, is suspected of violating his Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative designed to provide substance-abuse treatment and community supervision, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Deb Slater.

During his arrest, police said 50 gross weight grams of methamphetamine was found in his pocket, and two firearms were found in his Lake Whatcom North Shore residence. One of the firearms was discovered to be loaded.

Law enforcement said they discovered Budde was in possession of more than what would be considered a user amount of methamphetamine. There were crib notes documenting sales in his residence and zip-lock bags available to package narcotics. Budde also admitted to selling narcotics.

Prosecutors charged Budde with two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and one count possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (methamphetamine).

A Whatcom County Superior Court commissioner set Budde’s bail at $50,000, with a $5,000 cash alternative during his first appearance Thursday afternoon. His arraignment is set for July 21. He is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail.

Budde has nine previous felony convictions.

In September 2022, Budde was convicted of two counts of second-degree theft, one count of second-degree possession of stolen property and one count of second-degree taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s permission. He was given a special drug offender sentencing alternative that allows him to participate in treatment or counseling.

He has previous convictions for second-degree identity theft and second-degree vehicle prowl, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records.