Significant drug distributor for family-based drug trafficking organization sentenced to nine years in prison

Seattle - A 22-year-old Federal Way, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute massive amounts of fentanyl, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Sir Terrique Milam was a trusted associate of one of the leaders of the family-based drug trafficking organization - Markell Jackson. Milam was heard on phone calls arranging to go to Arizona with Markell Jackson to pick up a 150,000-pill load of fentanyl. At today's sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted the deadly risk of 15 kilos of fentanyl. "You were in on the conspiracy… You knew what you were selling… And you kept going even after contact with law enforcement," the judge told him.

"Mr. Milam was a trusted member of this drug trafficking organization - trusted to travel to Arizona and meet with the primary supplier of the drugs," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "He is a young man but already has convictions for promoting prostitution and illegal firearms possession. This prison sentence is needed to protect the community and break his cycle of crime."

"In close partnership with the leader of this organization, Mr. Milam conspired with him and others to distribute huge quantities of deadly drugs," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "He clearly has not learned his lesson from previous convictions and from his attempts to evade law enforcement and so will have to deal with the consequences of his repeated criminal behavior. I commend the work of the investigators and prosecutors on this extensive case, which reached across the United States to hold these drug traffickers responsible."

Over the course of this investigation, law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.

Milam was identified in the wire-tap investigation and was stopped in August 2024 returning from eastern Washington. The police stop revealed he was carrying a firearm in the vehicle. But Milam later bragged on a wiretapped phone call, that he was able to get the fentanyl pills out of the car before police could search it. Despite that run-in with law enforcement, Milam continued to be involved with drug trafficking. On October 2, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Milam's home, seizing 323.8 grams of fentanyl from under Milam's bed, multiple drug scales and $4,900 in United States Currency that Milam admits were proceeds of drug trafficking.

At takedown in October 2024, law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for the multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation culminated in search and arrest warrants in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and Washington State.

The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 33, his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 52, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 51, and siblings Markell Jackson, 23, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 25. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.

The Jackson family members, and other members of the conspiracy, are scheduled for trial in July 2027.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A number of the members of the drug distribution ring have pleaded guilty and already been sentenced:

Michael Young Jr, 45, of Tacoma, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Treyvon Mitchell, 33, of Kent, WA, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Robert Johnson, 22, of Renton, WA was sentenced to 70 months in prison.

Tyrell Lewis, 34, of Federal Way, WA was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

Phillip Lamont Alexander, 50, of Des Moines, WA has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in November 2026.

This case was investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff's Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Crystal Correa.