Drug Stockpile Recovered from Local Home
Friday, May 30 2014
Courtesy of Unalaska Dept. of Public Safety
Unalaska police may have reached a turning point in a long investigation into drug sales. As KUCB’s Lauren Rosenthal reports, two people are in custody after a stockpile was discovered at the home -- and business -- they both share.
Unalaska’s police chief, Jamie Sunderland, says he can’t remember a bigger bust.
Sunderland: "Easily over a half a million dollars worth of drugs found so far, and the search is continuing."
It’s turned up staggering quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine -- more than two pounds each -- plus more than a half-pound of marijuana, and two kinds of heroin.
Sunderland: "There’s certainly more evidence out there and clues to be found, but we feel that we have found a major player in this enterprise here."
Thu McConnell and Tam Nguyen are both 45 years old. Their current relationship is unclear, but they have raised a family together. And they’ve definitely gone into business in Unalaska – opening a cab company, a tanning salon, and a variety store called Dutch Harbor Asia.
Police say that store is where Tam Nguyen was on May 24 when he allegedly sold two packets of heroin.
The order for the drugs came from a criminal informant who agreed to buy heroin from his sources in the community, to try and get leniency on his own charges.
Officers arrested Nguyen shortly after the alleged drug deal. They got warrants to search through the Dutch Harbor Asia store the same day.
Along with the regular inventory -- snacks, jewelry, movies -- police say they found digital scales and a loaded semiautomatic handgun.
They also say there were 55 individually wrapped packets of heroin, cocaine, and meth. Based on that, officers got warrants to search Nguyen and McConnell’s house -- and arrest warrants, to put them in jail.
Now, the pair is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly possessing drugs with the intent to distribute them in the community.
Illegal drug sales are always a target for police action. But Unalaska’s been cracking down since last fall.
That’s when police orchestrated the first of two big sweeps -- arresting up to nine people at one time. At least two dozen have been taken into custody and charged since then.
Sunderland, the police chief, says officers have gotten tips about the operators of Dutch Harbor Asia in the process.
But to Del Huber, they were model tenants. Huber is the property manager at the strip mall where Dutch Harbor Asia is located.
Huber: "It was a smooth relationship. Their business was pretty much smooth. We never had no problems with anything."
Huber says he did some renovations in the building and helped fix up the Dutch Harbor Asia storefront. The operators seemed happy, he says. They even agreed to sign a longer lease.
But lately, they had been trying to get out of the business. Thu McConnell posted it for sale on a Facebook message board in January – even cutting the price of Dutch Harbor Asia to attract a buyer.
Soon after that, she listed her house for sale.
Huber, the property manager, says he doesn’t know what’s going to happen now that the pair is in jail.
Huber: "As of right now, it’s totally up in the air. All we can do is just take care the rest of the tenants in the [Dutch Harbor] Mall and make sure everything’s upkept -- and also make sure that Dutch Harbor Asia stays secure."
That means making sure customers respect the sign in the window that says the business is closed.
A Clear Eye on Monday, June 02 2014:
I am amazed and also dumb founded, after reading all of the previous posts what some enabling and justificatory comments are written within more than half of these comments regarding the recent drug bust. Lets remember that a huge slogan in any AA or Alanon Meeting is "Principles Over Personalities": To try and justify a drug lord in this community who has probably destroyed many lives by selling for his/her own commercial gain, is absolutely ridiculous and I hope, when this all comes down, you are ashamed of yourself. I don't care how "good" or "hard working" they were- they made a sound and obviously direct & active decision to sell drugs, whether this was years ago or recently. Let's stop justifying grown adults that kept a Dutch Harbor saga of helping to kill others neatly brushed under the table. Yes, God forgives and I hope in/for their own spirituality, they are forgiven. But these folks clearly know the United States Law and it is there to keep others safe which is why cocaine, hash, oxy, etc (and not cafe lattes) are legally against the law. Let's continue to hope the UCPD continues law enforcement and keep our families and children/teenagers safe. After all, when we were young and did something wrong, we were reprimanded or spanked to teach you how to behave. Let's just hope that adults are allowed this same procedure.
Truth on Monday, June 02 2014:
Easily over half a million dollars in drugs Dutch harbor price but a couple thousand anywhere else.
Anonomous on Monday, June 02 2014:
You have to put in good honest work to pay for drugs drugs don't grow on a tree like money doesn't grow on a tree tam and tue put in 20 years of good hard work befor this incident happened drugs didn't buy them the store didn't buy them cars didn't buy them that house good honest work did
And we are all human an we all make misteaks and god forgives and so do human people if any of you think different about tam or tue then take a look in the Mirror and ask yourself if this happened to me would I wish everyone to trash talk to help me see through This and get the help I need an choose a different path
Need someone to talk to ask john honan one man to never look down or frown down appon someone for making a misteak because god forgives
carolyn reed on Sunday, June 01 2014:
I have owned a retail shop at Intersea mall for twelve years with Thu & Than under management for a number of those years. I have known their daughters, as well, which with this recent incident, breaks my heart. Can you imagine getting a call that your parents are in jail? I know all about this as my own family separated, divorced and went thru trials for years due to drugs. It was the hardest times in my life. But, to put the record straight, WE ARE NOT 18 ANYMORE! And it's not like we are not taught this in school or by our families. etc. I am sorry, but selling drugs may be a profit to you but in the process it not only destroys lives, it destroys families. Mine is still recovering and it has been over a decade. So how in the world, could anyone ever consider this was a right business matter??? People that are supposed to be mature adults and still decide to get involved for a monetary profit make me dry heave daily.
Mr. Understood on Sunday, June 01 2014:
Working hard does not make selling drugs ok. And yes I know the family.
me on Saturday, May 31 2014:
I may have not seen them everyday but I've known them both personally for 20years. I am sure I know enough.
FYI on Saturday, May 31 2014:
I'm the ignorant one? I know more about this situation than you, Mr. Misunderstood. How do you know if they were hard working or not? Did you know them personally? Did you see Thu working all day in her shop, and then driving taxi all night just to get a few hours of sleep every night just to provide for her family? No. You know nothing about their lives or their situation, so please don't go around calling others ignorant when you're clearly ignorant yourself.
Mr. Understood on Saturday, May 31 2014:
Ignorant. FYI. Good hard working people don't sell drugs! Get a clue.
Google is your friend on Saturday, May 31 2014:
There are industry standard field test kits the cops use that meet the probable cause threshold (more likely than not), and the drugs will later be submitted to the state crime lab for detailed analysis and confirmation. This is standard procedure for more or less every police department in the nation.
me on Saturday, May 31 2014:
Its sad to know how ignorant people could be... To the comment stating "I thought tam and thou were nice and normal citizen" how in the hell do you define that? They are very nice but there isn't 1 damn normal person walking on this earth. If you believe you are NORMAL I feel sorry for you because you probably have 100 problems of your own that you deal with on a daily basis. Just because they were in possession of drugs does not make them a horrible people. They work hard like everyone, they are great parents, they are actually really kind hearted, giving people. The system let's a child molester out after doing 2 months but want to keep drug dealers who put their life on the line to provide for their family and to be able to live. Makes no sense!
would still like to know on Saturday, May 31 2014:
How UPD tested the drugs - many chinese manufactured chemical compounds being put out there at a much cheaper price that imitate drugs like meth and coke - and many are not illegal as of yet because their chemical make-up is not fully known
Anonomous on Friday, May 30 2014:
Tam an tue are good people and you guys think you know exactly whats going on and are so quick to jump to conclutions but the truth of the matter is you have absolutely now idea Don't post rude things
FYI to Truth on Friday, May 30 2014:
Before you respond to what I say, read what I said clearly. I didn't say KUCB posted false information, I said they posted irrelevant information that isn't directly pertinent to this case. And not just this article. I've seen a lot of additional information added to articles that confuses people who read it. I'm just saying that they should report on one thing at a time and only the pertinent information, not every single little detail that doesn't relate to the topic.
Bai on Friday, May 30 2014:
I used to go there every day after school. That is ... so scary.
Mr. Understood on Friday, May 30 2014:
Comparing lattes with cocaine? I don't think so.
Truth on Friday, May 30 2014:
To the person below me, it is KUCB's job to REPORT the news. This IS news. If they report something false they are subject to serious consequences. Because of that, they don't report falsities, but in the event that they do, they correct it. Thank you KUCB for reporting all kinds of news and not picking and choosing what you will report.
Tam and Thu are nice people that have never wronged me or anyone that I know directly. But, one or both of them dealt drugs and/or turned a blind eye to the other one selling drugs. That indirectly negatively affected our community and plenty of residents of Unalaska. Guess what? Nice people do bad things sometimes. Also, drug dealers are sometimes nice people. Nevertheless, they must face the consequences for breaking the law.
FYI on Friday, May 30 2014:
Thu and Tam are still good people. It's not like they were gang banging drug lords that murder, steal, and neglect their children. And yet again, KUCB's article adds unnecessary information and yet again people jump to conclusions so quickly. I didn't know Dutch Harbor had so many people sitting on such high, luxurious pedestals.
X on Friday, May 30 2014:
And to think, I took my infant daughter in there with me multiple times to browse the store. I had always thought that Tam and Thu were nice normal citizens. You just never truly know a person!
Also, I highly disagree with the previous post stating that Cigarettes are okay. That is just an idiotic statement.
Clean Community on Friday, May 30 2014:
I applaud UPD for a fantastic job- keep it going and clean up the community from these drugs!!
Vices and Virtues on Friday, May 30 2014:
Cigarette smoking, triple shot lattes, and Alcohol is OK to get high on - but don't smoke any weed or snort cocaine - those are dangerous!!
The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.
Elizabeth Taylor
It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
Abraham Lincoln
How did they test the drugs? on Friday, May 30 2014:
Wondering how they tested to confirm what drugs they seized - no mention - small town like ours it seems unlikely they would have lab facilities here - all kinds of Pharmaceutical imitation drugs brought in from China these days
Terry Quirk on Friday, May 30 2014:
Way to go UPD, finally!
joatmo1 on Friday, May 30 2014:
Fantastic!
Happy Community Member on Friday, May 30 2014:
Crime does not pay. No wonder, they can buy nice houses while hard working people cannot.
Kudos to UPD! I hope they can bust more drug dealers in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor.
Rodel LaForteza on Friday, May 30 2014:
Great job by Dutch Harbor police and canine drug dog!
Richard G. Peck on Friday, May 30 2014:
Chief Jamie-a tip of the hat to you and the Unalaska Public safety team. Sincerely Dick Peck