The Big Store subject of big investigation – Investigation slowed but not compromised by high number of vacant positions in Sheriff’s Office
Friday, August 23, 2024
By Jeff Noedel
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA–The investigation continues of potential drug distribution crimes committed at The Big Store located at 420 Argyle Ave. in Friday Harbor, WA.
“We’re sifting through all the evidence,” San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter told CNL2 today.
“Criminal charges are expected,” he added.
On Wednesday, yellow tape cordoned off the entire parking lot of the store, as Peter, Sheriff’s detectives and deputies served a search warrant and searched the Big Store, accompanied by officers with the Washington State Department of Revenue.
A case was opened by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office in June, when it received a tip that dangerous illegal drugs were being sold out of the store.
In the weeks after the tip, the Sheriff’s Office, in concert with the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit (SCIDEU), conducted multiple controlled buys of illegal drugs from the business.
Witnesses report seeing multiple boxes of potential evidence being taken out of the store and being placed in a law enforcement van in Wednesday’s search. A news release distributed by the Sheriff in social media confirmed: “numerous boxes of illegal drugs (were) seized.”
Wednesday’s search netted an unrelated result. Trevor A. Faglier, 24, was arrested Wednesday on an unrelated nationwide extraditable felony warrant out of Colorado. As of midday today, Faglier was being held in the Skagit County jail awaiting extradition to Colorado.
This case will potentially be one of the County’s larger criminal investigations of the year. But today, one of the Department’s detectives was needed on Orcas Island to do a regular patrol, because the Orcas Station has three vacant deputy positions. As a reporter sat in Peters’ office, the detective was working an accident with injuries, and a hit-and-run (vehicle on vehicle) was waiting.
“We’re exhausted,” Peter said. He said he needs more deputies, but employee compensation has not been drawing a high volume of applicants, and the lack of affordable or worker housing in San Juan County has cost him more than one candidate. He said this week he lost a candidate who had passed multiple hurdles to being hired when the candidate emailed him to withdraw his candidacy. Peter said the candidate in whom the department invested a lot of time recruiting simply said, “I took a job on the mainland.”
The sheriff’s office will continue investing hundreds of hours investigating and building a case at The Big Store.
Sheriff Peter said today, “This is a large ongoing investigation.” He said he did not know when the investigation would be complete and potentially multiple arrests may be made.
The Sheriff invited anyone who might have information that could help the investigation to contact Detective Rodney Nawn at rodneyn@sanjuancountywa.gov, or Detective Lukas Peter at lukasp@sanjuancountywa.gov, or through Sheriff’s dispatch at (360) 378-4151.
