Man sentenced to five years for drug crimes

Published 3:30 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2026

PORT ANGELES — A Kitsap County man has been sentenced to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Dylan Marsh-Backs, 35, of Silverdale also will serve 12 months of state Department of Corrections supervision following the sentencing last Thursday in Clallam County Superior Court. The sentence was at the top of the standard range, the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team stated in a news release.

Marsh-Backs was one of three people arrested in an OPNET-led operation in March. The sentence is a result of an accepted plea offer in lieu of federal charges, OPNET officials said.

Jonathan Karns, 43, and Johnny Watts, 50, rejected the state’s plea offer and are facing charges in federal court, according to the news release. A fourth person also will face federal charges.

OPNET began its investigation in March following information that Marsh-Backs sold controlled substances out of a room at 7 Cedars Casino and Hotel.

OPNET and officers with Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and Sequim Police Department recovered 196.37 grams of fentanyl and a .45 caliber Glock during their warrant search. Marsh-Backs is a convicted felon and was unlawfully in possession of the weapon, investigators said.

Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin said in court last Thursday that after Marsh-Backs was charged in this case, he posted bail and was arrested soon thereafter in Kitsap County for similar charges, which remain pending. Devlin said Marsh-Backs has no known ties to the area and “came to Clallam County for purposes of delivering fentanyl.”

Karns allegedly was found with fentanyl, a digital scale with residue, documentation of drug sales, a 9mm pistol and a bolt-action shotgun. He faces charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Watts, a former Clallam County Drug Court coordinator, faces charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm.

During the warrant search, the Sheriff’s Office reported that law enforcement seized nearly 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 about $18,980 in cash.