SPOKANE, Wash. – A Spokane home has become central to a federal criminal case involving drugs and guns. Investigators have labeled the property a “nuisance property.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker emphasized the commitment to addressing drug trafficking in the area. “The message is simple: if you traffick in Fentanyl and fuel violence, we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will prosecute you,” said Barker.
The property in question is located at 625 West Maxwell Avenue, just one block from North Central High School. Court records indicate the home, built in 1906, is divided into five apartments. Over the past year, there have been 58 emergency calls to this address, including reports of domestic violence, drugs, robbery, burglary, and two deaths.
James M. Ferguson, 33, owns the property and is among those charged. He purchased the property in 2016 and operated it under the name Mutherbee LLC for several years. While property tax records are current, the LLC was dissolved in 2022 for failing to file an annual report with the state. Ferguson continued to reside on the property until his arrest.
In June of last year, the Spokane Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit conducted an operation at the property. The complaint states that police obtained Fentanyl and meth during the operation. An unidentified co-conspirator linked Ferguson as their primary supplier, accusing him of making five trips to Richland to purchase Fentanyl pills, including one transaction involving 10,000 pills for $26,000.
In November, investigators executed a search warrant at Ferguson’s unit, discovering a privately made AR-15 style rifle without serial numbers, leading to a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm.
If convicted, Ferguson’s home could face condemnation and forfeiture.
