Man pleads guilty to trafficking heroin in Snohomish County

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — A 29-year-old man accused of selling drugs in Snohomish County for years is set to be sentenced for drug trafficking, money laundering and witness intimidation.

The Daily Herald reports James Painter will be sentenced this week after pleading guilty to the charges earlier this month. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend close to an 11-year prison sentence in exchange for the guilty plea.

Painter was arrested in 2014 after police say he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with a drug and gang task force.

Painter's attorney had argued in November that his client's right to a fair trial was violated because jailhouse phone calls between he and his previous lawyer were recorded.

But the judge said the information disclosed on the calls didn't help prosecutors or police.