A Wenatchee man has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Steven E. Graham, 40, received the sentence from United States District Judge Rebecca Pennell in Spokane, Washington. Following his prison term, Graham will be on supervised release for ten years.
Graham was found guilty by a jury on July 30, 2025. At the time of his arrest in late November 2023, he was under community custody supervision after a previous state drug conviction and had an outstanding warrant from the Washington State Department of Corrections for violating that supervision.
Authorities with the Columbia River Drug Task Force began investigating Graham for suspected drug trafficking activities. They discovered he was staying at a Red Lion motel in Wenatchee. After conducting surveillance and observing signs of drug activity, investigators obtained a search warrant for both Graham’s motel room and a vehicle he was using.
On November 29, 2023, law enforcement executed the warrant after seeing Graham and others move luggage from the motel room to the vehicle. During the search, they seized more than 7,000 fentanyl-laced pills, over 170 grams of methamphetamine, four firearms, and about $19,000 in cash from Graham’s belongings.
Due to prior felony convictions, Graham was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms. He also qualified as a “career offender” under federal sentencing guidelines.
First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano stated: “Steven Graham posed a significant danger to the Wenatchee Valley and we appreciate the work of our law enforcement partners who work to arrest and prosecute those, like Mr. Graham, who are introducing these deadly substances into our communities.”
April Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge at HSI Seattle added: “Graham’s lengthy sentence exemplifies the impact of strong law enforcement partnerships in safeguarding our communities from repeat offenders who threaten public safety by trafficking dangerous drugs and deadly weapons. HSI Seattle commends the exceptional collaboration demonstrated by our partners in the Columbia River Drug Task Force. Through our united efforts, we have ensured that a significant threat has been removed and public safety restored for the people we serve.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Columbia River Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich.
