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SEATTLE - Two western Washington men have been indicted in a yearlong string of pharmacy burglaries, targeting prescription narcotics in the Puget Sound region.
Koumssa Wakgira, 44, of Seattle, and Juston Young, 42, of Renton, are charged in a 24-count federal indictment with charges including:
- Conspiracy to commit pharmacy burglaries
- Conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs
- Burglary and attempted burglary (17 counts)
- Possession with intent to distribute (5 counts)
The backstory:
According to court documents, the organized burglary ring targeted 17 pharmacies between May 2025 and March 2026. They spanned from Kirkland to Chehalis, cutting through King, Thurston, Lewis, and Pierce counties.
Suspects pictured in Seattle area burglary spree
The U.S. Department of Justice listed the following locations as pharmacies targeted by Wakgira and Young:
- Bob Johnson’s Pharmacy, Seattle (May 2, 2025)
- Arow Pharmacy Olympia (May 8, 2025)
- Sy Pharmacy, Seattle (May 17, 2025)
- Hawks Prairie Pharmacy, Lacey (Sept. 13, 2025)
- Good Pharmacy, Tacoma (Sept. 13, 2025)
- Navos Pharmacy, Seattle (Nov. 16, 2025)
- Ready Meds Pharmacy, Renton (Nov. 28, 2025)
- Evergreen Professional Center Pharm., Kirkland (Dec. 20, 2025)
- Swedish Arnold Pharmacy, Seattle (Dec. 21, 2025)
- Fred Meyer Pharmacy, Seattle (Dec. 25, 2025)
- Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac (Jan. 1, 2026)
- Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac (Feb. 1, 2026)
- Sea Mar Pharmacy, Olympia (Feb. 24, 2026)
- Purdy Cost Less Prescriptions, Gig Harbor (Feb. 25, 2026)
- Panorama Pharmacy, Lacey (March 22, 2026)
- Centralia Pharmacy, Centralia (March 22, 2026)
- Chehalis Pharmacy, Chehalis (March 22, 2026)
The DEA claims they wore similar clothing in each burglary, as caught on surveillance camera. Their gear included gray Nike sneakers, a black cap with a headlamp, and black gloves with lettering.
Officers had a breakthrough when one of the suspects left a glove during a break-in at Arow Pharmacy in Olympia. Forensic scientists analyzed a DNA sample from the glove, which directly matched Young.
After identifying Young as a suspect, authorities served search warrants at the suspects' homes and vehicles, where they uncovered the following evidence:
- Narcotics: Officers recovered 43 bags of prescription pills weighing 5,415 grams from Wakgira's home, and 19 containers of drugs weighing 1,177 grams from Young's home.
- Burglary tools: Pry bars, bolt cutters, and bent pickaxes were found in Wakgira's vehicle.
- Digital footprint: Both suspects' phones were in close proximity to each pharmacy at the time of each break-in.
Pills and burglary tools recovered from Wakgira and Young's home and vehicles.
What's next:
Young was arraigned last month and remains in federal custody. Wakgira was arrested on Tuesday morning and made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle later that afternoon.
Both Wakgira and Young face up to 20 years in prison for each count if found guilty.
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The Source: Information in this story came from a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice and court documents filed U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.