Puyallup bar suspended, owner arrested for drug dealing
Jun 19, 2019, 3:16 PM
The owner of a Puyallup bar has been arrested following an investigation into drug deals based out of the business.
The Puyallup Police Department received a tip on Sept. 27, 2018 from a confidential source. That source said that drug dealing was happening at Johnny’s Bar & Grill, and that the owner was involved. The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force was called in.
Since September, police conducted four undercover purchases of illegal drugs — a total of 44.7 grams of cocaine — at Johnny’s “from the licensee,” according to the WSLCB. Puyallup police served a search warrant on April 17 and discovered cocaine, meth, heroin, synthetic cannabinoids, and pharmaceutical Oxycodone.
The owner has been arrested and faces charges of: unlawful delivery of a controlled substance; unlawful possession of a controlled substance; unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board suspended the liquor license for Puyallup’s Wednesday. The 180 day suspension (effective until Dec. 15) is temporary, but the WSLCB is seeking to permanently revoke the liquor license. It is the latest in a narcotics investigation into the establishment.
The WSLCB notes that this is the first emergency suspension of a liquor license in 2019. There were four such suspensions in 2018.
