King County deputy’s 69 guns missing; witnesses in corruption case worried

A King County sheriff’s deputy pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from an investigation that led to revelations of police corruption within the agency.

Darrion K. Holiwell, 49, pleaded not guilty to promotion of prostitution, second-degree theft and violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

Dressed in a red jumpsuit and shackled at the waist, Holiwell said few words during the nearly hour-long hearing.

Holiwell, a 19-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, is accused of helping his estranged wife sell sex online, buying and selling steroids, and stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of ammunition from the gun range in Ravensdale where he served as chief firearms instructor.

A defense attorney for Holiwell argued Tuesday for a judge to reduce his bail from $150,000 to $50,000.

Prosecutor Gary Ernsdorff fought against the request, and said witnesses in the case are concerned for their safety. He read the court a text message Holiwell sent to an acquaintance.

“In his own words, he said, after he learned of the investigation, ‘I got something for their asses. Hang on, it’s about to get real,'” Ernsdorff said. “This is not a subtle comment. This is a direct threat that ‘It’s going to get real,’ that has sent chills throughout all the witnesses we’ve talked to.”

Ernsdorff revealed that Holiwell has 69 handguns registered under his name in the state of Washington and not one has been accounted for.

According to court documents, investigators were unable to recover any firearms or ammunition from Holiwell’s home when they served a search warrant in April.

After Holiwell was arrested last week, King County Sheriff John Urquhart said his office is working to determine how many others knew or were involved in his alleged actions.

“Accountability is looking at how deep inside the sheriff’s office this problem goes, and is it bigger than just a few people on the SWAT team? I don’t know yet. But I intend to find out,” he said.

So far, two other members of the King County Sheriff’s office – a major crimes detective and a member of the SWAT team – have been placed on paid leave pending an internal investigation.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told KIRO Radio that a Seattle police officer had also been implicated in the case.

According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Officer Kevin McDaniel confessed to buying testosterone pills from Holiwell on multiple occasions.

McDaniel was placed on paid administrative reassignment last Thursday. In a statement, the Seattle Police Department said they would take “swift action” if the allegations proved true.

Holiwell remains held on $150,000 bail. A judge Tuesday ordered him to surrender his firearms.