A Seattle man who allegedly moved methamphetamine from Mexico to Hawaii in pie tins and cookie containers is facing a federal drug charge, according to court records.
Own Ouk, aka “Danny,” was indicted Nov. 7 on a single charge of distribution of a controlled substance. Ouk pleaded not guilty during his initial appearance Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield.
Beginning in March, law enforcement started looking at Ouk for allegedly moving methamphetamine, according to an affidavit authored by an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that was attached to a federal criminal complaint filed Oct. 25.
During this investigation, law enforcement used physical surveillance and electronic surveillance (a vehicle tracker), and
observed the “interactions with a Confidential Human Source during controlled narcotics purchases, as
well as listened to and
reviewed recorded telephone, text, and in-person communications.”
The FBI’s confidential human source used Voice over Internet Protocol technology that allows the user to make voice calls using a broadband internet connection, to make contact with Ouk in March.
The FBI’s source is “motivated by a desire to combat drug trafficking in Hawaii and wants to contribute to successful prosecution of narcotics traffickers,” has no criminal history and has been paid for his work with the U.S. Department of Justice, according to federal court records.
In phone and in-person conversations, Ouk allegedly discussed how he he packaged, priced and sold methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and ecstasy.
The FBI’s source got prices for methamphetamine and fentanyl, and
Ouk allegedly said he had “access to various drug weights, including up to
10 to 20 kilograms.”
Ouk allegedly told the source that “his sources of supply were from down south and has made numerous references to Mexico and the border.”
On April 17 the source met Ouk in Seattle and discussed an $1,800 shipment of methamphetamine. Two days later, on April 19, a package with a return address of a spa in Bellevue, Wash., arrived at a Hawaii address controlled by law enforcement with methamphetamine stashed in a taro yolk pie tin.
In June the source, while being monitored by police and federal agents, met with Ouk again in Seattle to discuss a $2,000 delivery. They allegedly arrived at a deal to move 2 pounds to Hawaii for $3,800.
On June 24 a cream cracker tin with
methamphetamine arrived in Hawaii. Another shipment of methamphetamine arrived in Hawaii from the Seattle area on July 3 with methamphetamine hidden in a butter cookie and biscuit tin.
In September, Ouk allegedly called the FBI’s source and asked whether they wanted to go in “on a large shipment of methamphetamine and provided pricing per pound” if the source bought at least 100 pounds.
“Ouk also told CHS that with the holidays coming up, that is when CHS should ‘flood the market,’ indicating that’s when you want to ship because ‘they’ don’t check the packages,” according to an Oct. 25 criminal complaint.
Federal prosecutors seek forfeiture of the drug proceeds they used to buy the methamphetamine, nine firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition seized from a Renton, Wash., storage unit allegedly belonging to Ouk.
