‘This is ‘Ozark”: High-profile Seattle activist linked to massive drug trafficking operation

SE Network SafetyNet, a Seattle-based program aimed at reducing violence in schools, is pausing its operations after its executive director was indicted on multiple charges, including drug trafficking.

The SE Network SafetyNet program was contracted by Boys & Girls Club to provide “violence intervention specialists” at multiple Seattle-area high schools.

Prosecutors claimed the drug trafficking ring led by Executive Director Matelita Jackson would target members of the Lummi Nation.

The program’s indefinite pause was confirmed by both Seattle Public Schools and the Mayor’s Office, according to FOX 13.

Original Story — Oct. 4

When the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) infiltrated and dismantled a major fentanyl ring based in Renton, the department found it was led by one family that included a high-profile, well-known Seattle-area activist.

Seventeen people involved in the drug operation were arrested, including five members of the Jackson family, Mandel, Marquis, Miracle, Markell and Matelita — the executive director of SE Network SafetyNet, a community group that is part of the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County. Matelita, also known as Marty, often led the charge for restorative justice and other pathways to get kids away from gangs and gun violence, particularly in the South Seattle region.

Mandel, 50, is Matelita’s husband. Marquis, 31, and Miracle, 22, are Matelita and Mandel’s two children, and Markell, 21, is Matelita’s stepchild. The family faces multiple charges for conspiracy, including drug trafficking and money laundering. According to The Seattle Times, there are also alleged ties to a Seattle-area street gang.

“She’s accused of laundering money through regular deposits and of using her account as a pass-through between members of the drug trafficking organization,” Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said on KIRO Newsradio. “Her son, Marquis, was the alleged leader of this drug ring and her husband, Mandel, was the advisor who allegedly stored guns and drugs.”

Earlier coverage of this case: Law enforcement busts major Renton family drug ring that targeted Native Americans

Over the course of this investigation, law enforcement successfully seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, six kilograms of powdered fentanyl, seven kilograms of cocaine, 29 firearms and more than $100,000 in cash.

“Years ago, in the early 2000s, I knew the Jackson family very well,” Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio said. “So much so that I knew Marty very well. I knew Mandel very well. Marquis, the son, I actually used to coach him, so I spent a lot of time with this family. Was I surprised? Yeah, sure. I mean, you wouldn’t think something like this. And I think the biggest surprise is this is literally out of a show. For all of you TV buffs out there, this is ‘Ozark.’ This is exactly what the Byrde family is. This is something that, no, I don’t think any of us can expect. Marty, like I said, I knew for a long time. I haven’t seen them in years, but I’m shocked because of the responsibility that they had in the community.”

The group acquired fentanyl in bulk in Arizona and distributed it throughout the U.S., primarily Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, Georgia and Washington, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Rick Collodi.

The family “clearly” targeted Native American communities and tribes located in Washington and Montana, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Tessa Gorman stated after the arrests. The ring is allegedly linked to fatal overdoses on the Lummi Nation reservation, located in Whatcom County. Within a four-day period last year, four people died of fentanyl overdoses on the reservation.

“The day before this news broke, they had just accepted a check for the organization’s Safe Passages that they are a part of in this funding for help with restorative justice and all this stuff,” Gee added. “So when this type of news happens, the absolute reputation of the organization is damaged. It is damaged through what we are saying. It is damaged by the FBI filing of this case. There’s going to be a loss of trust now.”

More from Gee and Ursula: What does it take to get fired as a Mercer Island police officer?

The two-year undercover operation involved the DOJ, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI and the Seattle Police Department (SPD), along with the Lummi Nation Police Department in Whatcom County.

“My heart is broken because there are a lot of people that will feel the impact of this,” Gee said. “Not just that family, but people that are connected to this organization because there’s still a job to do, and the job is to look out for these youngsters out here and try to make sure that they are on the right path. So no matter what, every single day, that job has to be done, and now we have this huge pause.”

Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Within the family, Matelita Jackson and Miracle Patu-Jackson were released on bond. Matelita has no prior criminal history, according to the charging documents.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

Listen to Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin weekday mornings from 9 a.m.- noon on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.