Seattle – A 30-year-old member of the Lummi Nation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of methamphetamine.  AMBER DAWN MENDOZA, aka AMBER DAWN REDSTONE, aka AMBER DAWN MENDOZA-REDSTONE, aka CRYSTAL CARTER, aka JASMINE GARCIA, pleaded guilty June 27, 2019.  At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones told her that the Court has a low tolerance for people selling drugs in tribal communities and noted that people are dying taking these drugs.

According to records filed in the case, law enforcement made two different undercover buys of heroin and methamphetamine from MENDOZA.  The heroin she sold also contained traces of fentanyl.  When the Tulalip Tribal Police served a search warrant at MENDOZA’s home they found a Remington 870 shotgun and a .22 Smith and Wesson pistol under pillows on her bed.  The shotgun had been reported stolen.  Also in the home police found cocaine, ammunition, drug paraphernalia and cash.  They found some of the marked bills used in the undercover drug buys.

MENDOZA is prohibited from possessing firearms due to five previous state court felony convictions for drug possession.

The case was investigated by the Tulalip Police Department and the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.  Mr. London serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.