Islander faces felony drug charges
Published 11:30 am Friday, January 30, 2026
A Vashon man accused of selling fentanyl and methamphetamine to island residents made his first court appearance Monday, days after deputies served a search warrant at an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) near uptown Vashon, according to police documents.
Gabriel Timmen, 46, is facing felony charges of delivery of a controlled substance, after detectives reported buying powdered fentanyl and methamphetamine at his residence last month, police documents say.
A judge found probable cause to hold Timmen on the delivery allegation. Bail was set at $25,000.
Between 6 and 7 a.m. Friday, the King County Sheriff’s Office Precinct 4 Special Emphasis Team and TAC30 (SWAT) served the narcotics search warrant at the ADU in the 9300 block of Southwest Gorsuch Road, said Brandyn Hull, the sheriff’s office communications manager. Guardian One helicopter air support was also present, Hull said.
The arrest follows a months-long investigation into allegations that Timmen was distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine to Vashon residents, Hull said.
During the search, detectives found a digital scale, trace amounts of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, according to police documents.
In a police interview, Timmen told detectives he had sold narcotics to at least six people on Vashon and said he frequently obtained drugs in Seattle, according to police documents.
Court records also reference two prior cases involving Timmen since 2023. In a May 29, 2023 case, Timmen admitted to stealing copper wire to support a fentanyl addiction and completed the Community Diversion Program, records show.
In a separate April 10, 2025 case, he was arrested after he was found with about 2 grams of fentanyl and paraphernalia and agreed to participate in Therapeutic Alternative Diversion in exchange for diverting his case, records show.
Drug possession is no longer prosecuted as a felony in Washington following the state Supreme Court’s 2021 Blake decision, and lawmakers in 2023 passed Senate Bill 5536 reclassifying possession and use as a gross misdemeanor while encouraging diversion in many cases.
But Timmen’s current case involves felony delivery allegations, making him ineligible for Therapeutic Alternative Diversion, according to court records.
Timmen’s next court date is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 3.
Editor’s Note: The King County Sheriff’s Office told The Beachcomber on Friday, Jan. 30, that a second person had been booked on suspicion of unlawful use of a building for drug purposes. The agency later said that information was incorrect.
