Owner of shuttered Seattle club arrested, accused of supplying drugs to dealers

SEATTLE — The owner of a shuttered Belltown night club has been arrested after authorities say he supplied cocaine and other drugs to dealers at the business.

The Foundation Nightclub, 2218 Western Ave., was closed in August 2018 after an undercover operation conducted by Seattle Police. The operation started after officials say they received reports of drug trafficking inside the club and concerns about sexual assaults associated with drugs like GHB.

In a series of undercover operations, officers bought cocaine, meth, MDMA and GHB inside or near the club, police said in August.

Authorities said Friday that the owner, whose name will be released when he is formally arraigned, is among 16 people now facing charges in connection with the investigation. They said in a release that investigators uncovered evidence that he was "supplying large amounts of cocaine and other drugs" to dealers, who would then give them to people at the club.

In August, Seattle police officers and agents with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations seized 829 grams of cocaine, more than 1,000 grams of MDMA, 400 ecstasy pills, 800 Xanax pills, 190 grams of ketamine, 13 grams of DMT, 176 grams of GHB, 1,200 Molly capsules, additional prescription drugs, along with two handguns and more than $60,000 in cash.

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board also issued an emergency suspension of the club’s liquor license at that time.

The owner of the club has been taken into custody and will be booked in the King County jail on conspiracy charges later Friday, police said.