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Federal Courts Issue Sentences in Washington Cases Involving Conflicting Accounts

Media outlets report differing details regarding defendants, alleged conduct, court locations, and sentences imposed in federal court proceedings.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 12, 2026, 10:10 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 18, 2026, 4:10 p.m. ET
In federal court proceedings investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bellevue Police Department, prison sentences between 150 months and 210 months (17.5 years) have been reported. Conflicting reports place the proceedings in , according to chronline.com, and , according to yelmonline.com. The defendants in the proceedings include Ryan Matthew Gennette, 42, of Phoenix, a longtime resident of Auburn before relocating to Phoenix; Brandon Denzel Washington, 33, of California; and Donald Budge. For the sentence imposed, chronline.com reported , while yelmonline.com reported a sentence of . Outlets also reported differing details regarding the alleged conduct and charges. Yelmonline.com reported that the government accused Gennette of acting as a broker for methamphetamine and fentanyl headed to Western Washington, shipping two large boxes in June 2024 containing 7 kilograms of fentanyl pills, almost 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and over 10 kilograms of actual methamphetamine to Whidbey Island, later sending 9 kilograms of methamphetamine via courier, and being involved in sending firearms to cartel-connected drug sources in Mexico. Chronline.com reported that Washington faced charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion, one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion, and four counts of transporting women for the purpose of prostitution through coercion and enticement, alleging he spent nearly 10 years between 2014 and 2021 forcing, defrauding, and coercing young women into prostitution across Washington, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 12, 2026, 10:22 p.m. ET

    Phoenix Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Washington Drug Trafficking Case

    Ryan Matthew Gennette, 42, of Phoenix has been sentenced to 150 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, according to reporting by yelmonline.com. The outlet reports Gennette is a longtime resident of Auburn who relocated to Phoenix. A second defendant, Donald Budge, is named in the case.

    According to yelmonline.com, the government says Gennette acted as a broker for a large amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl headed to Western Washington. The government's account, as reported by the outlet, is that in June 2024 he shipped two large boxes containing 7 kilograms of fentanyl pills, almost 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder and over 10 kilograms of actual methamphetamine to an address on Whidbey Island, later sent 9 kilograms of methamphetamine via courier, and was involved in sending firearms to cartel-connected drug sources in Mexico.

    The available record of the case describes the proceeding as at the sentencing stage, with the 150-month term imposed. It does not set out the terms of any plea or the disposition of the case against Budge.

  2. Aug 12, 2026, 10:21 p.m. ET

    Phoenix Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Washington Drug Trafficking Case

    Ryan Matthew Gennette, 42, of Phoenix has been sentenced to 150 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, yelmonline.com reported. The outlet describes Gennette as a longtime resident of Auburn, Washington, before he relocated to Phoenix. A second defendant, Donald Budge, is named in the case.

    According to yelmonline.com, the government says Gennette acted as a broker for a large amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl headed to Western Washington. Prosecutors say that in June 2024 he shipped two large boxes containing 7 kilograms of fentanyl pills, almost 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and over 10 kilograms of actual methamphetamine to an address on Whidbey Island, and later sent 9 kilograms of methamphetamine by courier. The government also says he was involved in sending firearms to cartel-connected drug sources in Mexico.

    The fact record available for this report states only that the proceeding has reached sentencing and that a 150-month term was imposed. It does not specify the counts involved, how the case was resolved, or what further proceedings, if any, remain.

  3. Aug 12, 2026, 10:10 p.m. ETFirst report

    Phoenix Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Drug Trafficking Case in Tacoma Federal Court

    Ryan Matthew Gennette, 42, of Phoenix, has been sentenced to 150 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, according to reporting by yelmonline.com. The outlet reported that Gennette was a longtime resident of Auburn before relocating to Phoenix.

    According to that reporting, the government says Gennette acted as a broker for a large amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl headed to Western Washington. The government says he shipped, in June 2024, two large boxes containing 7 kilograms of fentanyl pills, almost 2 kilograms of fentanyl powder and over 10 kilograms of actual methamphetamine to an address on Whidbey Island, and later sent 9 kilograms of methamphetamine by courier. The government also says he was involved in sending firearms to cartel-connected drug sources in Mexico. Those are the government's allegations as reported by the outlet.

    yelmonline.com also names a second defendant, Donald Budge. The report does not describe any charge, plea or sentence involving Budge, and no allegation against him is established here.

    This account is drawn from a single published report. Further details of the proceedings were not available.

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Revision history

  1. Version 218 Aug 2026, 20:10current

    Updated story to report conflicting details regarding defendants, alleged conduct, court locations, charges, and sentences imposed.

  2. Version 113 Aug 2026, 02:21current

    First published.

  3. Version 113 Aug 2026, 02:10current

    First published.

  4. Version 113 Aug 2026, 02:22current

    First published.

  5. Version 113 Aug 2026, 02:14

    First published.

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