Charges filed by KCPAO in January 2023

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed more than 764 criminal charges in January — a month that included holiday and weather-related court closures. Violent crime and repeat property crime are the bulk of the cases we handle, and prosecutors typically file between 20–30 cases daily.

Our ability to file charges is based on the number of case referrals by police investigators.

The overwhelming majority of these 764 charges are from felony cases in Superior Court, but that number also includes a few expedited and fugitive cases in District Court. Juvenile cases filings and non-expedited District Court filings are separate from the 764 number.

Here is a breakdown of charges filed during the 20 business days in January:

• King County prosecutors filed 106 assault or attempted assault charges in January, including armed assaults.
• There were 45 robbery and attempted robbery charges filed by King County prosecutors in January, including armed robberies.
• King County prosecutors charged 90 burglaries and attempted burglaries in January, including 54 commercial burglaries.
• In addition to armed assaults, armed robberies, and murders involving guns, King County prosecutors charged 36 additional gun crimes in January, such as unlawful gun possession (32).
• King County prosecutors filed 77 theft or attempted theft charges in January. That includes 5 organized retail theft charges. (Most shoplifting cases are not felony thefts, they are misdemeanor cases referred to individual city attorney’s offices.)
• Stolen vehicles are the most common type of property crime prosecuted. King County prosecutors filed 98 stolen vehicle related charges in January.
• In January, the KCPAO filed 2 murder charges, 2 attempted murder charges, 2 manslaughter charges, and 1 vehicular homicide charge — based on referrals from police investigators. Many murder investigations are still ongoing.
• Drug possession cases — even cases of people using meth and heroin on the streets — have not been felony crimes since the State Supreme Court’s Blake decision in February 2021. However, King County prosecutors still charge drug dealers, most often fentanyl dealers. King County prosecutors filed 46 drug-dealing related charges in January, including 17 involving fentanyl charges and 15 meth charges (possession with intent or drug delivery). Those numbers include one Conspiracy to Commit VUCSA charge (possession with intent — fentanyl).
• In the last six months (Aug. 2022 — Jan. 2023), King County prosecutors filed 84 fentanyl dealing charges and another 61 meth dealing charges (including seven Conspiracy to Commit VUCSA charges). Another way to say that is, nearly 70% of all drug dealing charges filed by King County prosecutors involve fentanyl or meth (39.1% and 28.4% respectively, including the Conspiracy to Commit VUCSA charges).
• Domestic violence remains the most common crime type in King County: 18.8% of all charges filed in January were domestic violence related (144 of at least 764 charges).

Click here to see a daily breakdown of charges filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Specific crimes charged in January 2023 by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office:

• Animal Cruelty in the First Degree (1 charge)
• Arson In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Assault In The First Degree (6 charges)
• Assault In The First Degree — Domestic Violence (2 charges)
• Assault In The Second Degree (13 charges)
• Assault In The Second Degree — Domestic Violence (40 charges)
• Assault In The Third Degree (27 charges)
• Assault In The Third Degree — Domestic Violence (2 charges)
• Assault In The Fourth Degree (5 charges)
• Assault In The Fourth Degree — Domestic Violence (7 charges)
• Assault of a Child in the Third Degree — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Attempted Assault In The Second Degree — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Attempted Burglary In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Commercial Sexual Abuse Of A Minor (5 charges)
• Attempted Disarming A Law Enforcement Officer (1 charge)
• Attempted Identity Theft in the First Degree (2 charges)
• Attempted Kidnapping In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Kidnapping In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Murder In The First Degree (2 charges)
• Attempted Rape In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Robbery In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Robbery In The Second Degree (3 charges)
• Attempted Theft In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Attempted Theft Of Motor Vehicle (1 charge)
• Attempted Unlawful Imprisonment — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Attempted Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree (2 charges)
• Attempting to Elude A Pursuing Law Enforcement Vessel (1 charge)
• Attempting To Elude A Pursuing Police Vehicle (27 charges)
• Being A Fugitive From Justice (6 charges)
• Burglary In The Second Degree (54 charges)
• Child Molestation In The First Degree (2 charges)
• Child Molestation in the First Degree — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Child Molestation in the Second Degree — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Child Molestation In The Third Degree (1 charge)
• Communication With a Minor For Immoral Purposes (6 charges)
• Conspiracy to Commit Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (1 charge)
• Criminal Impersonation in the First Degree (1 charge)
• Criminal Trespass In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Cyber Harassment (1 charge)
• Dealing in Depictions of Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct in the First Degree (4 charges)
• Domestic Violence Felony Violation Of A Court Order (32 charges)
• Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Violation Of A Court Order (11 charges)
• Drive-By Shooting (1 charge)
• Driving While License Suspended/Revoked In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Driving While License Suspended/Revoked In The Second Degree (2 charge)
• Driving While License Suspended/Revoked In The Third Degree (1 charge)
• Driving While Under the Influence (11 charges)
• Endangerment With A Controlled Substance (1 charge)
• Escape In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Escape in the Third Degree (1 charge)
• Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (21 charges)
• Felony DUI (1 charge)
• Felony Harassment (10 charges)
• Felony Harassment — Domestic Violence (14 charges)
• Felony Stalking (3 charges)
• Forgery (3 charges)
• Harassment — Domestic Violence (3 charges)
• Hate Crime (2 charges)
• Hit And Run — Attended Vehicle (3 charge)
• Hit And Run — Felony (1 charge)
• Hit And Run (1 charge)
• Identity Theft in the First Degree (15 charges)
• Identity Theft in the Second Degree (18 charges)
• Indecent Exposure (1 charge)
• Indecent Liberties (2 charges)
• Interfering With Domestic Violence Reporting (9 charges)
• Intimidating A Judge (1 charge)
• Kidnapping In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Making A False Or Misleading Statement To A Public Servant (1 charge)
• Malicious Mischief In The First Degree (4 charges)
• Malicious Mischief In The Second Degree (2 charges)
• Malicious Mischief in the Third Degree — Domestic Violence (2 charges)
• Malicious Placement Of An Explosive In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Manslaughter In The First Degree (2 charges)
• Murder In The First Degree (2 charges)
• Murder In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Obstructing A Law Enforcement Officer (10 charges)
• Organized Retail Theft In The First Degree (5 charges)
• Possessing A Stolen Firearm (1 charge)
• Possessing Stolen Property In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Possessing Stolen Property In The Second Degree (1 charge)
• Possession Of Controlled Substance While In A Correctional Facility (1 charge)
• Possession of Depictions of Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct in the First Degree (6 charges)
• Possession Of Explosive Device (1 charge)
• Possession Of Stolen Vehicle (71 charges)
• Rape In The First Degree (1 charge)
• Rape In The Second Degree (2 charges)
• Rape in the Second Degree — Domestic Violence (5 charges)
• Rape in the Third Degree (2 charges)
• Rape of a Child in the First Degree (5 charges)
• Rape of a Child in the Second Degree (1 charge)
• Rape of a Child in the Third Degree (3 charges)
• Reckless Driving (2 charges)
• Reckless Endangerment (1 charge)
• Reckless Endangerment — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Residential Burglary (26 charges)
• Residential Burglary — Domestic Violence (9 charges)
• Resisting Arrest (4 charges)
• Robbery In The First Degree (33 charges)
• Robbery In The Second Degree (8 charges)
• Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor (1 charge)
• Taking Motor Vehicle Without Permission in the Second Degree (1 charge)
• Tampering With A Witness (2 charges)
• Telephone Harassment — Felony Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Theft In The First Degree (6 charges)
• Theft In The Second Degree (8 charges)
• Theft In The Third Degree (4 charge)
• Theft Of A Firearm (1 charge)
• Theft Of Motor Vehicle (21 charges)
• Threats To Bomb Or Injure Property Threats To Bomb Or Injure Property (1 charge)
• Trafficking In Stolen Property In The First Degree (3 charges)
• Unlawful Discharge Of A Dangerous Weapon (1 charge)
• Unlawful Imprisonment — Domestic Violence (1 charge)
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the First Degree (15 charges)
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree (17 charges)
• Vehicle Prowl In The Second Degree (4 charges)
• Vehicular Assault (2 charges)
• Vehicular Homicide (1 charge)
• Violation Of A Court Order (2 charges)
• Violation of Ignition Interlock (4 charges)
• Voyeurism in the First Degree (1 charge)
• Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (45 charges — details below)
• Possession with intent — fentanyl x9
• Fentanyl delivery — x6
• Possession with intent — fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and Xanax x1
• Possession with intent — meth x8
• Meth delivery — x6
• Possession with intent — heroin x6
• Possession with intent — cocaine x6
• Possession with intent — marijuana x3
• One marijuana charge also involved suspected possession of cocaine and a meth pipe, and police said the defendant was carrying a loaded handgun after a court order prohibiting him from having firearms. He also had warrants from two separate courts and was charged with unlawful gun possession.
• The two other charges involved a grow house. One defendant was found with 312 plants and a gun. The co-defendant was found with approximately $27,000 cash and 418 grams of processed marijuana, according to investigators.