Walla Walla felon sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine
By Dan Thesman on Friday, March 8th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
RICHLAND, Washington – Seth Cory Cunha, 38, of Walla Walla was sentenced Thursday in federal court to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. His sentence is to be followed by four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on January 10, 2021, Cunha was in a rental vehicle when he was arrested by Walla Walla Police a felony arrest warrant from the Washington State Department of Corrections. A narcotics K-9 alerted to the presence of the odor of narcotics in the vehicle, and as a result, the vehicle was seized pending a search warrant. Investigators executed the search warrant and observed more than $3,500 in cash in the center console. No drugs were found in the vehicle.
On January 12, a WWPD detective reviewed several phone calls made by Cunha while he was housed at the Walla Walla County Jail. Cunha made calls to his girlfriend and a roommate. During the phone calls, Cunha discussed the cash, his phones, and a storage unit. The WWPD detective noted that anytime the storage unit was mentioned, Cunha became uneasy and redirected the conversation. Cunha would also refer to the storage unit in coded language only the person on the call could understand.
Through further investigation, detectives determined the location of the storage unit, and on January 13, Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant for the unit. During the search, detectives located several power tools, a Gatorade bottle that had been made into a smoking device and a small black safe. Inside the safe, detectives located five bags containing a methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson .45 caliber pistol, a spare magazine with bullets, and cash.
During the prosecution, Cunha challenged the admissibility of certain evidence against him. Ultimately, a team of federal prosecutors successfully established that the evidence was legally obtained through a lawful search warrant.
