A year-long run of pharmacy burglaries across the Puget Sound region has seemingly ended, following the announced charging of two men by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Koumssa Wakgira, 44, of Seattle, and Juston Young, 42, of Renton, are charged with conspiracy to commit burglaries involving controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, five counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and 17 counts of burglary or attempted burglary involving controlled substances.
According to the DOJ, the U.S. Marshal Service arrested Wakgira Tuesday morning. Wakgira was scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle that afternoon.
The DOJ said Young was arraigned in June and is being detained.
Conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. Burglary and attempted burglary involving controlled substances is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison, as are conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
Wakgira and Young are accused of burglarizing 17 pharmacies across the region between May 2025 and March 2026, as detailed in the 45-page criminal complaint submitted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in May.
Sometimes, the men were successful, like when they allegedly stole $37,615 worth of Adderall, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone and other controlled substances from Purdy Cost Less Prescriptions in Gig Harbor.
Other times, the burglars came up empty, like on March 22, when Wakgira allegedly failed to break into Centralia Pharmacy at about 4:50 a.m.
Later that morning, Chehalis Pharmacy reported the theft of 4,029 dosage units of controlled substances, including Xanax, oxycodone and codeine.
The pharmacy estimated losses at $695. Wakgira had allegedly struck again.
Wakgira and Young — either collectively or individually — are also accused of burglarizing or attempting to burglarize Arow Pharmacy and Sea Mar Pharmacy in Olympia, as well as Hawks Prairie Pharmacy and Panorama Pharmacy in Lacey.
“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants were relentless in their attempts to break into pharmacies and steal narcotics,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said in the release. “I commend local and federal law enforcement who worked together to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
According to the DOJ, the investigation was led by the DEA Seattle Diversion Group with assistance from the Olympia Special Investigations Response Team, the Olympia Police Department, the Lacey Police Department and the Renton Police Department.
The U.S. Marshals Service also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini is prosecuting the case.
“These defendants fueled the illegal drug market and placed communities at risk by stealing thousands of doses of controlled substances, targeting pharmacies throughout the Puget Sound region for nearly a year,” Robert A. Saccone, special agent in charge at the DEA Seattle Field Division, said. “This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts and DEA’s commitment to disrupting the diversion and illegal distribution of prescription medications.”
According to the criminal complaint, investigators used a wealth of surveillance footage to find “commonalities and consistencies in the clothing, shoes, and tools used by the subjects, as well as in their gaits, postures, body types, and approximate weight and height.”
Cellphone data and GPS information yielded additional corroborating evidence.
Olympia police further linked Young to the alleged crimes using DNA found on a black glove reportedly left in the lobby of Arow Pharmacy.
In March, law enforcement saw Wakgira take part in suspected drug sales, the DOJ said. Executed search warrants at Wakgira’s girlfriend’s apartment and Young’s Renton home in April reportedly turned up dozens of bags filled with drugs.
Officers also found a number of tools inside Wakgira’s black GMC Yukon that allegedly matched with those seen in the footage, including crowbars, a pickaxe and bolt cutters.
The DOJ provided the following timeline of the alleged burglaries and attempted burglaries. It specifies which suspect was implicated in each incident:
• May 2, 2025 — Bob Johnson’s Pharmacy, Seattle — Wakgira
• May 17, 2025 — Sy Pharmacy, Seattle — Wakgira
• Sept. 13, 2025 — Hawks Prairie Pharmacy, Lacey — Wakgira and Young
• Sept. 13, 2025 — Good Pharmacy, Tacoma — Wakgira and Young
• Nov. 16, 2025 — Navos Pharmacy, Seattle — Wakgira and Young
• Nov. 28, 2025 — Ready Meds Pharmacy, Renton — Wakgira and Young
• Dec. 20, 2025 — Evergreen Professional Center Pharmacy, Kirkland — Wakgira and Young
• Dec. 21, 2025 — Swedish Arnold Pharmacy, Seattle — Wakgira and Young
• Dec. 25, 2025 — Fred Meyer Pharmacy, Seattle — Wakgira and Young
• Jan. 1, 2026 — Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac — Wakgira
• Feb. 1, 2026 — Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac — Wakgira
• Feb. 24, 2026 — Sea Mar Pharmacy, Olympia — Wakgira
• Feb. 25, 2026 — Purdy Cost Less Prescriptions, Gig Harbor — Wakgira and Young
• March 22, 2026 — Panorama Pharmacy, Lacey — Wakgira
• March 22, 2026 — Centralia Pharmacy, Centralia — Wakgira
• March 22, 2026 — Chehalis Pharmacy, Chehalis — Wakgira
