Port Townsend, Washington
Kitsap County Man Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for dealing Controlled Substances
On January 7th, 2022 Richard Purves, aged 45 years, plead guilty to two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance. Court records indicate that on November 14, 2020 at approximately 4:45am Deputy Justin Coronado with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle after he observed it driving erratically, including crossing over the center line and traveling 75 miles an hour in a 60 mile per hour zone.
During his contact with the driver Deputy Coronado reported that the driver gave a false name before eventually handing over his passport and admitting that he did not have a valid driver’s license. The driver was identified as the Defendant Richard Purves of Kitsap County. While Deputy Coronado attempted to determine the driver’s identity, court records indicate that Deputy Kolby Schreier spoke to the passenger of the vehicle and while doing so noticed drug paraphernalia and suspected heroin scattered around the vehicle.
The Deputies impounded the vehicle and obtained a search warrant for possession of controlled substances and use of drug paraphernalia. A day later, Deputy Coronado and Sergeant Ryan Menday searched the vehicle and located: 52.70 grams methamphetamine; 40.37 grams of heroin; 219 fentanyl pills stamped to resemble Oxycontin; and $4,860 in cash.
According to law enforcement an average dose of these drugs are approximately ¼ gram equating to over 200 doses of heroin, 150 doses of methamphetamine in the possession of the Defendant in addition to the 219 fentanyl pills.
At sentencing Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Chris Ashcraft argued that the Defendant deserved the top of the sentencing range as his record showed he had been selling large quantities of drugs for at least six years, and while all of the drugs he possessed endangered the community, the fentanyl in particular has been responsible for a number of overdoses in the county. In response the Defendant requested a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative. Based on his criminal history Mr. Purves had a sentencing range of 60-120 months.
The Honorable Judge Keith Harper agreed with the reasons presented by the prosecutor sentenced the Defendant to 120 months noting the fact that the Defendant showed no prior interest in substance abuse treatment. The Defendant was also ordered to serve 12 months of community custody where he was ordered to undergo chemical dependency treatment.
Prosecutor Attorney James Kennedy added “This was a result of great law enforcement work by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Drugs continue to ravage this community, with fentanyl in particular being a leading cause of overdose deaths. Had this traffic stop occurred today no further investigation would have likely occurred due to the de facto legalization of controlled substances by our State Supreme Court and Legislature”.
For more information contact:
Chris Ashcraft
Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
(360) 385-9180
cashcraft@co.jefferson.wa.us
