ANCHORAGE, AK - Authorities have confirmed that a defense attorney, who operated out of an office on Eighth Avenue, was arrested on Wednesday, May 21st after a federal jury indicted him on charges of maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person.
According to ADN, Justin Abbott Facey had his license revoked back in February and is now behind bars for federal charges involving drug trafficking and weapons. The indictment itself does not have many details, but a motion for detention filed by federal prosecutors describes several accusations in the case against Facey.
The filing by federal prosecutors describes the 44-year-old attorney as addicted to methamphetamine, coercing sex acts from minors and clients of his legal services, and providing legal services and other assistance to an imprisoned drug dealer. The motion states, in part, "Having consciously adopted the persona of a self-described 'cartel attorney,' and fueled by a spiraling addiction to methamphetamine and compulsive sexual conduct, the defendant fully committed to the bit, engaging in a crime spree threatening the safety of the community."
Prosecutors said that Facey got on law enforcement's radar after it got out that he was facilitating a deadly drug ring run by an inmate in California, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez.
The motion includes text messages from June 2023 showing Facey arranging a flight out of Merrill Field to smuggle a woman out of Alaska to avoid arrest. The court document states that Sanchez-Rodriguez used a contraband phone from prison. In October of 2023, Sanchez-Rodriguez was indicted on federal drug trafficking and murder charges. He was also accused of running a major ring that smuggled fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine to communities around Alaska.
The murder charges are associated with the May 2023 deaths of 30-year-old Sunday Powers and 34-year-old Kami Clark, whose bodies were found in Trapper Creek.
Federal prosecutors said that more than 60 other defendants have been charged in connection with the Sanchez-Rodriguez drug trafficking operation. According to the motion, Sanchez-Rodriguez had fentanyl delivered to Facey's home and that he messaged back saying, "Thank you. Much appreciated. I feel funny not paying -- we can credit it for when you need some legal work done, if you want?"
The motion also accuses Facey of asking Sanchez-Rodriguez to assault someone the lawyer had a grievance with. The inmate took steps to arrange the shooting, but law enforcement was able to disrupt that plan.
Informants told prosecutors that they directly experienced or witnessed Facey coerce sex acts in return for legal representation and paid young women with drugs. One described seeing Facey snorting meth using a homemade "hot rail" device with two young women present who appeared to be minors. Messages included in the motion appear to show Facey describing his involvement with trafficking.
One of the messages read, "The cartel literally threw a duffle bag from a moving vehicle onto my rook to hire me last week." The indictment states that in April 2024, Facey began using his home to distribute and use fentanyl and meth. The indictment also accuses him of possessing a 12-gauge shotgun, 9 mm pistol, .380 caliber pistol, and a rifle "in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime" when a search warrant was served there in April.
In February, Facey's license to practice law was suspended. The suspension is linked to 13 separate Alaska State Bar grievances and six fee arbitration matters over a three-year period. The order stated, "Bar Counsel has demonstrated that Attorney Facey's conduct constitutes a substantial threat of irreparable harm to his clients or prospective clients."
In their motion, federal prosecutors wrote, "Facey appears to have transitioned entirely to supporting himself through the distribution of narcotics." Federal prosecutors described the accusations against Facey as unprecedented in the Alaska district in terms of "misconduct of this scale by a formerly practicing attorney."
According to ADN, Justin Abbott Facey had his license revoked back in February and is now behind bars for federal charges involving drug trafficking and weapons. The indictment itself does not have many details, but a motion for detention filed by federal prosecutors describes several accusations in the case against Facey.
The filing by federal prosecutors describes the 44-year-old attorney as addicted to methamphetamine, coercing sex acts from minors and clients of his legal services, and providing legal services and other assistance to an imprisoned drug dealer. The motion states, in part, "Having consciously adopted the persona of a self-described 'cartel attorney,' and fueled by a spiraling addiction to methamphetamine and compulsive sexual conduct, the defendant fully committed to the bit, engaging in a crime spree threatening the safety of the community."
Prosecutors said that Facey got on law enforcement's radar after it got out that he was facilitating a deadly drug ring run by an inmate in California, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez.
The motion includes text messages from June 2023 showing Facey arranging a flight out of Merrill Field to smuggle a woman out of Alaska to avoid arrest. The court document states that Sanchez-Rodriguez used a contraband phone from prison. In October of 2023, Sanchez-Rodriguez was indicted on federal drug trafficking and murder charges. He was also accused of running a major ring that smuggled fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine to communities around Alaska.
The murder charges are associated with the May 2023 deaths of 30-year-old Sunday Powers and 34-year-old Kami Clark, whose bodies were found in Trapper Creek.
Federal prosecutors said that more than 60 other defendants have been charged in connection with the Sanchez-Rodriguez drug trafficking operation. According to the motion, Sanchez-Rodriguez had fentanyl delivered to Facey's home and that he messaged back saying, "Thank you. Much appreciated. I feel funny not paying -- we can credit it for when you need some legal work done, if you want?"
The motion also accuses Facey of asking Sanchez-Rodriguez to assault someone the lawyer had a grievance with. The inmate took steps to arrange the shooting, but law enforcement was able to disrupt that plan.
Informants told prosecutors that they directly experienced or witnessed Facey coerce sex acts in return for legal representation and paid young women with drugs. One described seeing Facey snorting meth using a homemade "hot rail" device with two young women present who appeared to be minors. Messages included in the motion appear to show Facey describing his involvement with trafficking.
One of the messages read, "The cartel literally threw a duffle bag from a moving vehicle onto my rook to hire me last week." The indictment states that in April 2024, Facey began using his home to distribute and use fentanyl and meth. The indictment also accuses him of possessing a 12-gauge shotgun, 9 mm pistol, .380 caliber pistol, and a rifle "in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime" when a search warrant was served there in April.
In February, Facey's license to practice law was suspended. The suspension is linked to 13 separate Alaska State Bar grievances and six fee arbitration matters over a three-year period. The order stated, "Bar Counsel has demonstrated that Attorney Facey's conduct constitutes a substantial threat of irreparable harm to his clients or prospective clients."
In their motion, federal prosecutors wrote, "Facey appears to have transitioned entirely to supporting himself through the distribution of narcotics." Federal prosecutors described the accusations against Facey as unprecedented in the Alaska district in terms of "misconduct of this scale by a formerly practicing attorney."
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