Chase near Cle Elum leads to search at Renton man’s home

Published 7:30 am Sunday, February 22, 2026

A Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office pursuit near Cle Elum resulted in officers serving a search warrant at a Renton man’s home — uncovering drugs, guns and possibly supplies to manufacture fully-automatic firearm conversion devices.

According to the Renton Police Department (RPD), at 5:42 a.m. Feb. 16 in the 700 block of Southwest Fifth Court in Renton, the department assisted the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in serving a warrant at the home of James Newport, 34, of Renton.

According to RPD, from Newport’s home, the deputies recovered unlawfully possessed firearms, untraceable receivers, one stolen firearm, a suppressor believed to be unlawfully possessed and additional suspected conversion devices. Officers further located a 3D printer and supplies consistent with manufacturing illegal firearm components.

According to KCSO, conversion devices enable firearms to have a rate of fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute. Conversion devices have surged nationwide in recent years, increasing the danger to the public and responding officers, the office reported.

The warrant was served at Newport’s home because of an incident that occurred at approximately 9:19 p.m. Feb. 11, when deputies made contact with Newport. According to the KCSO, deputies responded to the area of State Route 970 and U.S. Route 97 after receiving information that a black Chevrolet Camaro had fled from deputies in Chelan County and might enter Kittitas County. KCSO deputies and Cle Elum and Roslyn police positioned themselves along likely routes and prepared to deploy spike strips.

According to KCSO, officers then attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Camaro, but it instead fled. Subsequently, officers deployed spike strips and the Camaro was disabled near Interstate 90 from SR 970, east of Cle Elum. The driver, later identified as Newport, exited his vehicle, ran, but quickly surrendered and was taken into custody.

Deputies found that Newport had multiple outstanding warrants and prior felony convictions. Additionally, Newport’s passenger told officers that Newport refused to allow her to exit the vehicle during the earlier events.

Based on statements and evidence collected, deputies booked Newport into jail for felony eluding, obstructing law enforcement, reckless driving, driving while license suspended and unlawful imprisonment. Deputies also found that the passenger had outstanding warrants and took her into custody.

According to the KCSO, on Feb. 13, deputies searched Newport’s Camaro and located suspected controlled substances, including suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl, psilocybin mushrooms and evidence consistent with drug trafficking. Multiple firearms and firearm parts that appeared to be unlawfully manufactured or possessed, including untraceable firearm receivers and suspected fully-automatic firearms conversion devices, were found in Newport’s vehicle.

Deputies then referred further charges for multiple counts of unlawful possession of firearms, possession of untraceable firearms and possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver. The investigation then prompted deputies to search Newport’s Renton home.

According to RPD spokesperson Meeghan Black, there are no charges against Newport pending in King County. She said the case is in Kittitas County.