Men face 7 federal charges

ANCHORAGE — A federal grand jury indicted two men for attempting to distribute about a kilogram of heroin, based in part on an investigation which began in the Valley, court documents and authorities said.

Seneca Loyal Neal, 37, of Anchorage and Lamon Glenn Washington, 40, of Fairbanks face seven counts in federal court: one count of drug conspiracy, two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and four counts of distributing a controlled substance, according to an indictment filed Wednesday in U.S. District court.

Neal and Washington conspired to sell a kilogram or more of heroin in Alaska between April and November, according to the indictment.

A cooperative effort between the Alaska State Troopers Mat-Su Drug Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency investigating the heroin trade in the Valley began in September, according to an Alaska State Troopers press release.

On Oct. 29 and 30, federal and state agencies seized about 48 grams of heroin as part of the investigation. They then seized 266 grams of heroin from a Wasilla residence, though the date is not given in the release. On Nov. 19, they seized 141 grams of heroin and $17,000 cash from a Fairbanks residence. On Nov. 30, the Mat-Su Drug Unit seized 445 grams of heroin, $980 cash and a custom truck from a residence along Arctic Boulevard in Anchorage, according to Troopers.

The street value of the about-900 grams seized is estimated at about $400,000, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Neither Washington nor Neal have faced charges in the Palmer Court, according to Alaska Court Records. Searches for those names in borough property records turned up no results.

Neal remained in the Anchorage Jail Thursday afternoon. Washington remained in the Fairbanks Correctional Center.

The federal penalty for a drug trafficking offense involving a kilogram or more of heroin is 10 years to life, and a fine of about $10 million, according to the DEA website.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.