Former Sonics/Thunder C Robert Swift has had a rough go of it since crashing out of the professional ranks ; in the spring of 2013, he was evicted from his Sammamish, WA home, leading Deadspin’s Barry Petchesky to muse, “no one knows where Swift is living now, but it’s safe to assume he’s not in a good place.” Suffice to say, Swift didn’t exactly land on his feet. On Thursday, Seattle’s KOMO.com reports he’s been held on gun charges related to what seems to be a new gig as muscle for a drug dealer nicknamed “Trigg”.
King County prosecutors describe Swift, 28, as a heavily armed heroin addict who admitted to helping his drug dealer-turned-roommate collect a drug debt. That man, 54-year-old Trygve Bjorkstam, is currently facing federal drug and gun charges.
Investigators contend a military-style grenade launcher and sawed-off shotgun were seized from Swift’s bedroom during an Oct. 4 raid on Bjorkstam’s Kirkland home, located 100 yards from an elementary school. Swift was charged Thursday with unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun
Accused of amassing an 18-gun arsenal to protect his drug business, Bjorkstam is said to have defended Swift to police, describing him as a “good guy” who helped him try to collect a heroin debt but did not deal drugs himself.
“People have been ripping me off,” Bjorkstam told police, according to charging papers. “Rob and I are trying to put a stop to that.”
Bjorkstam explained that he was “not a big time drug dealer” and explained he started dealing heroin six months before, the Redmond officer said in court papers.