2 Indicted After Bags Full Of Drugs Found On WA Beach

SEATTLE — Two defendants appeared before a federal judge in Seattle on Thursday after a grand jury returned an indictment stemming from the discovery of a cache of drugs left on a beach near Port Angeles in April 2021.

Erika A. Bocelle, 32, of Rhode Island, and John Michael Sherwood, 65, of Idaho, face charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. A third defendant, Kevin Christopher Gartry, 45, of British Columbia, is also charged in the case.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, beachcombers found a black duffel bag containing a large amount of drugs near Port Angeles on April 7, 2021, and reported the discovery to the Clallam County Sheriff's Office. Investigators documented nearly 60 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of what appeared to be cocaine, but turned out to be fentanyl powder.

Four days later, officials said, another person found seven more bags on the beach, which together held more than 342 pounds of methamphetamine. The sheriff's office placed the street value of the drugs at $7 million, and investigators believe the trio failed in an attempt to smuggle the drugs into Canada.

If convicted by a jury, each defendant will face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 10 years up to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A trial date has yet to be announced. The investigation included members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.