Twenty-eight-year-old Ethan Slater was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver (with a firearm enhancement), and intimidating a witness in a trial that lasted just two days in Grays Harbor County Superior Court Judge Vini Samuel’s courtroom in Montesano.

According to Grays Harbor County Deputy Prosecutor Chris Smith, Slater and his girlfriend, Cassandra Nesgoda, had gotten into an argument. Nesgoda contacted her sister, Brandy Chambers, who went to their house. The argument continued, and Slater indicated that he had a gun. Chambers called the police as Slater and Nesgoda left in Nesgoda’s car.

The Aberdeen Police Department stopped Nesgoda’s car and when they searched it, they found, in a backpack that very clearly belonged to Slater, a Glock 40 pistol, and three magazines full of ammunition, two boxes of extra ammunition, and a round chambered in the firearm. Along with that, they found a box in the same backpack containing multiple bags of drugs — large quantities of suspected methamphetamine and a bag of what was confirmed to be 81 blue fentanyl pills.

“In that same bag, they found a scale, and that scale had white powdery residue on it, which is a telltale sign that it’s being used to weigh drugs. All that taken together, it was dead obvious that Mr. Slater had all those drugs so that he could sell them,” Smith said.

Nesgoda attempted to take the fall for Slater, claiming the contraband was hers, but it was later revealed that she had done so under duress. She recanted and gave a new statement that led to the witness intimidation charge against Slater.

“The reason she made that (initial statement) is because Mr. Slater had pressured her incessantly, and he’d also physically beaten her. Detective Sergeant Gary Sexton saw her when she came in to recant her statement shortly after the search warrant was executed,” Smith said. “(Sexton) saw that she was covered in bruises. Nesgoda’s sister told him that the bruising was caused by (Slater) hitting her with a knife sharpener. He basically induced her to make a false statement to the police, knowing that he was likely facing some consequences. That’s something we take very seriously because interfering with the administration of justice in that way, especially using violence, is something we want to discourage as much as possible.”

Aberdeen Police Commander Steve Timmons, who was a responding officer in the case, acknowledged the exemplary police work and diligence of the Grays Harbor County prosecutor’s office.

“The Aberdeen Police Department is grateful for the positive outcome of this case. From the first response by our officers on scene to the detailed investigation led by Detective Sergeant Gary Sexton, this case was handled with exceptional diligence and professionalism,” Timmons said via email. “We extend our sincere thanks to the Prosecutor’s Office, and particularly Deputy Prosecutor Chris Smith, for their dedication and active involvement throughout the investigation and judicial process. Deputy Prosecutor Smith’s presentation of the case to the jury was instrumental in securing a just verdict.

“We value our partnership with the Prosecutor’s Office and Deputy Prosecutor Smith, and we remain committed to working together to hold those who threaten the well-being and safety of our community accountable, especially in cases involving drugs and firearms.”

Smith echoed Timmons’ sentiments and added that he was pleased with the results and the work of everyone involved in bringing about a conviction. He also singled out the efforts of Detective Sexton in particular and stressed the importance of getting Slater off the streets.

“It was a relatively short affair. We didn’t have too many witnesses, because this isn’t a very complicated kind of case. I’m really glad with the outcome. Even when you catch somebody with (evidence) on them, it can be difficult to prove the specific elements. The legislature has written criminal laws in a way that ensures it holds the state to its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt,” Smith said. “We had to prove that the gun was stolen, and we had to prove that (Slater) knew that it was stolen. We were able to establish that, and I was really glad that the jury was able to review the evidence and find that we had done so. I heard from multiple law enforcement officers when I mentioned that Mr. Slater was coming up, and they all said this is somebody who’s going to kill somebody one day. So, they were really glad to hear that he was in custody, because he’s got a history of violence. He’s been in and out of prison for a long time. Everybody in the community knew who he was. They’re glad to hear that he was convicted.

“Aberdeen Police did a fantastic job on this. And particularly Detective Sergeant Sexton, he did an enormous amount of follow-up work. A lot of it at the prosecutor’s office’s request, just to make sure that every detail was buttoned down. And he was the one who was able to get Nesgoda to provide a statement, mostly through being empathetic with her situation and trying to help her help herself. He deserves an enormous amount of the credit for this.”

Slater is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 24. He is facing a prison term of between 13 years and 3 months and 17 years and 7 months.