Alleged drug ring in Clallam County stopped by narcotics team
Published 12:30 pm Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Last week, multiple agencies involved with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) stopped an alleged drug operation in Clallam County with multiple arrests over two days.
On March 11, two men suspected of being involved in the drug dealing operation, Patrick Nelson, 52, and Johnny Watts, 50, were arrested at a rental home in the Agnew area with Nelson arrested after hiding in an attic for several hours.
Nelson, a former Clallam County resident with a violent criminal history, was released from prison in December 2025, and had an active Department of Corrections warrant for violating the conditions of his community custody, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Watts was detained and frisked by sheriff deputies who discovered a loaded firearm in his pocket and a controlled substance. He was arrested for alleged unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance and booked into Clallam County Jail.
At the time the Gazette went to press, Watts was being held on $250,000 bail with his next court appearance set for 1 p.m. March 17.
To help arrest Nelson, the Peninsula Crisis Response Team (PCRT) responded. Law enforcement issued a public notification through Everbridge asking that nearby residences be evacuated as a precaution.
The Sheriff’s Office reports that after several hours of negotiations and a standoff, Nelson surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody without incident.
The Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office said Nelson was booked on a Department of Corrections warrant.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that on March 12, OPNET’s investigation uncovered that Kitsap County residents staying at the 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn were involved in the alleged drug operation.
Dylan Marsh-Backs, 35, of Silverdale was arrested on suspicion of delivery of a controlled substance and with reasonable suspicion that he was still in possession of large amounts of controlled substances while staying with three others to sell the substances in Clallam County.
OPNET, in coordination with local law enforcement partners and 7 Cedars surveillance staff, located the group.
Marsh-Backs was arrested and found with 196.37 grams of fentanyl packaged separately for distribution, a scale, packaging materials, and two loaded pistol magazines.
After serving a search warrant for his vehicle, a pistol and ammunition were found. Marsh-Backs is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions related to unlawful firearm possession and delivery/manufacturing of a controlled substance.
Marsh-Backs was booked into the jail on charges of delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He too is being held on $250,000 bail with a court appearance set for 1 p.m. March 17.
Jonathan Karns, 43, of Port Orchard was also arrested after a search warrant revealed that his luggage contained fentanyl, a digital scale with residue, documentation of drug sales, a 9mm pistol, and a bolt-action shotgun. Karns, too, is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions, including burglary and felony assault.
He faces charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm. He has the same bail and court date as Marsh-Backs and Karns.
Lindsey Heidner, a 41-year-old Key Peninsula resident, was also arrested in possession of a 9mm pistol without a concealed weapons permit and booked into jail for unlawful carry of a firearm on $12,000 bail.
Another unidentified woman was detained and questioned before being released.
OPNET reports they seized just under 262 grams of fentanyl, more than 515 grams of methamphetamine, more than 30 grams of suspected cocaine, 147 Suboxone strips, two shotguns, a rifle, seven pistols, multiple scales, packaging, and approximately $18,980 in cash.
