2 arrested for heroin shipment

ANCHORAGE — Federal investigators intercepted three and a half pounds of heroin headed to Houston, charging the men they say were on the receiving end with federal drug crimes.

In documents filed in federal court against James Gwaltney and Baretta Faatafuga, postal inspector Kimberly Dallas leaves vague exactly what was suspicious about he package that came through Oct. 22.

That the package “was identified by a postal inspector due to the characteristics used by traffickers of narcotics” is as specific as Dallas gets.

Upon opening the package, inspectors found a safe. Inside the safe was 3 pounds, 9 ounces of heroin wrapped in two Ziploc bags, a Foodsaver bag, black tape and duct tape.

Dallas writes that inspectors took out the heroin and replaced it with a tracking device and fake drugs that were sprayed down with a chemical called Clue Spray. Anyone who handled the fake heroin would be identifiable under a black light.

The phony heroin was delivered to a home on Pepper Street in Houston at 5 p.m., Oct. 23. A woman signed for it.

An hour later, two men — Gwaltney and Faatafuga — showed up in a pickup to take it away. That pickup parked at a home on Rainbow Drive in Wasilla and the men went inside.

Ten minutes later, at 6:45 p.m., the tracking device gave off the signal indicating the box had been opened.

“At approximately 6:50 p.m., officers knocked on the door of the residence and made contact with a minor who answered the door,” according to Dallas’ sworn written statement. “The minor, who indicated she was 13 years old, informed officers that … Faatafuga owned the … pickup … and had just left.”

She also told officers she knew Faatafuga was involved with drugs and let them inside to look around.

In Faatafuga’s bedroom officers observed “drug related paraphernalia,” according to the statement.

The girl told officers that Gwaltney stayed outside either in a tent on the property or in a motor home on the property. Officers found Faatafuga’s pickup and pulled him over while, at the same time, different officers found Gwaltney in the motor home.

In both the tent and the motor home, officers found baggies of methamphetamines, Dallas wrote. The girl also told officers that Gwaltney and Faatafuga had burned something in a fire that was burning in the front yard.

“Officers investigated the fire and found the safe that had been in the subject parcel. Approximately one hour later, they were also able to identify the GPS tracking device in the remains of the fire,” according to Dallas’ statement.

Faatafuga’s hands had the Clue Spray on them, but Gwaltney’s did not.

“Gwaltney’s hands were very dirty with grease and grime,” Dallas wrote. “Based on my training and experience and conversations with other law enforcement officers, ‘Clue Spray’ residue will not remain or stay on a surface if it is too dirty or greasy.”

A later search turned up guns and $5,000 cash.

Gwaltney and Faatafuga were charged with attempted possession of heroin with intent to distribute it. The charge carries a potential penalty of 10 years to life in prison.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.