West Pierce Fire Commissioner and Pierce County Attorney John M. Sheeran, 60, was indicted Monday for allegedly smuggling drugs to clients at a King County jail, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Sheeran’s charges include “conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, possessing and distributing methamphetamine, distributing buprenorphine and illegally using a communications facility,” according to the release.
According to the indictment, he used his position as an attorney to provide drugs, including methamphetamine, ketamine, buprenorphine and THC, to two of his clients who were then inmates at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle.
“During the course of the conspiracy, Sheeran distributed or possessed with intent to distribute sheets of paper that were laced with drugs, chewing tobacco tins that substituted the tobacco for drugs, and sample clothing in which drugs were hidden in the soles of the shoes. ” the release said. “After Sheeran successfully smuggled the drugs into the KCCF, Sheeran’s co-conspirators sold the drugs to other inmates for significant amounts of money.”
A federal grand jury in Seattle indicted Sheeran and four others on October 16. He was arrested without incident on Monday and appeared in federal court that day, where he pleaded not guilty and was released pending a jury trial set to begin on December 20.
Sheeran worked for the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office for more than 20 years before transitioning to private practice. He prosecuted numerous crimes and rose to become chief counsel to elected prosecutor Mark Lindquist, who served from 2009 to 2019.
Most recently, Sheeran represented Sheriff Ed Troyer in 2021 in connection with charges stemming from Troyer’s confrontation with a black newspaper carrier. Sheeran later withdrew from the case when he switched law firms, The News Tribune previously reported. Troyer was ultimately acquitted at trial.
Sheeran ran for a seat on the Pierce County District Court bench in 2018, but lost to Karl Williams.
The News Tribune called Sheeran’s law firm and left a voicemail requesting comment but did not immediately hear back.
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.
