Preston N. Yip, a 31-year-old Friday Harbor man, was arrested Sept. 24 and is being charged with one count of Delivery of/Manufacturing and Possession with Intent to Deliver — Class B felony, one count of Stalking — Class B Felony, three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the Second Degree — Class C Felony, one count of Possessing a Stolen Fire Arm — Class B Felony and one count of Unlawful use of Building for Drug Purposes — Class C Felony.
Yip pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Oct. 1. The state requested bail of $1 million, citing, among other concerns, the seriousness of the charges and that many of the guns were stolen and stolen after he had lost his right to have firearms. Prosecutor Theresa Barnett also noted that additional evidence had been discovered since the original arrest, and the investigation is ongoing.
Yip’s attorney, Paul Cognac, argued that the defendant is having trouble paying the $300,000 bail set during the first appearance on Sept. 25, and therefore, there was no need to increase it. Judge Kathryn Loring raised the bail to $500,000, acknowledging the seriousness of the charges, and added that he surrender his passport as a condition for release. The remaining conditions set on Sept. 25 remained unchanged. Those conditions include wearing a GPS tracking device and an alcohol detection device, not going near bars, taverns or marijuana dispensaries, and a no-contact order was put in place for the stalking victim, who was a deputy.
An omnibus hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3.
Details of the case
According to court documents, on Aug. 14, a San Juan County deputy reported that after receiving notice that an Apple AirTag was following him or was nearby, he discovered the AirTag under his patrol car. Using the AirTag’s serial number, they traced the owner to Yip, someone the deputy had previously arrested.
Several San Juan deputies, as well as a detective, requested a search warrant for Yip’s residence. During the search, multiple safes were found. Inside the safes, the deputies reported finding cash, packages that appeared to contain cocaine and/or fentanyl and two firearms that were reported and confirmed stolen by the Sheriff’s Office in 2019. A handgun was found on a nightstand, along with ammunition and magazines.
In a hidden room built into a porch area, several digital scales were found with white powder, a mixing bowl equipped with scoopers, large baggies, a container containing cutting agents and other items of interest. Five firearms, along with a large sum of cash and an AirTag, were found in a separate location during the course of the investigation.
Yip’s criminal history includes Malicious Mischief in the third degree, Possession of Stolen Property in the third degree and three charges of Driving While License Suspended and Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer.
