Downtown Seattle drug dealer sentenced to five years in prison for having a gun while dealing crack cocaine

Seattle - A 24-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison for dealing cocaine while armed with a 9mm polymer gun with an extended magazine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Ishmael Malakhi Weddington, was arrested on July 28, 2025, after Seattle Police saw him deal drugs in the area around Second Ave and Blanchard Street. When taken into custody, he possessed dealer packaged amounts of crack cocaine and had a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine holding 27 bullets. The gun was a 'ghost gun' produced by a 3D printer and without any serial number.

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez told Weddington, "I hope you are serious when you say you are intent on making changes for the future." Weddington responded, "It's imperative that I never return here again." Judge Martinez said, "People can say anything they want - but they need to walk the walk."

"When drug dealers choose to arm themselves to protect their drug trade, they are looking at mandatory federal prison time. We put a priority on prosecuting those cases to try to improve the safety of our community," said Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "I commend the Seattle Police Department for bringing this case to our attention."

According to records filed in the case, on July 28, 2025, Seattle Police Officers were conducting an operation in downtown Seattle to address drug trafficking. The officers observed Weddington making laps around one block - he had a crossbody bag and wore a hooded sweatshirt. The front pocket of the sweatshirt appeared to be weighed down by something fairly heavy. As they watched a woman approached Weddington and the two walked a distance together and then she handed him some folded bills. Weddington checked his surroundings and then reached into his crossbody bag and handed the woman a small, white, rock-like substance. The woman left.

Moments later, uniformed officers arrested Weddington. They found the firearm with the extended magazine hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket. In the crossbody bag they found cocaine base and, in his pockets, they found money and a scale.

Weddington was charged federally on August 7, 2025. On August 6, 2026, he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

In asking for a five-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, "Not only was Weddington engaged in drug trafficking activities for his financial gain, but he did so while armed with a semi-automatic handgun equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. The combination of his drug trafficking activities with a firearm, which he admits was possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking enterprise, placed the community at risk of significant harm."

Judge Martnez imposed three years of supervised release to follow prison.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne.