Roy Olmstead

Roy Olmstead was a prominent bootlegger in the Pacific Northwest during the Prohibition era. He was a former Seattle police officer who became known as the "King of the Puget Sound Bootleggers." His operations were among the largest on the West Coast, and he became a significant figure in the history of alcohol smuggling.

Early Life

Roy Olmstead was born in Nebraska in 1886. He moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1904, where he joined the Seattle Police Department in 1907. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a sergeant by 1910.

Bootlegging Career

During the Prohibition era, Olmstead began smuggling alcohol from Canada into the United States. He used a fleet of vessels, including speedboats and fishing boats, to transport the alcohol across the Puget Sound. At the height of his operation, Olmstead was smuggling in thousands of cases of alcohol each week.

Olmstead's operation was known for its professionalism and lack of violence. He employed a large staff, including former law enforcement officers, and ran his operation like a business. He even provided his employees with health insurance and paid vacations.

Legal Troubles and Later Life

In 1924, Olmstead was arrested and charged with violating the Volstead Act, the federal law that enforced Prohibition. His case, Olmstead v. United States, went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in a landmark decision that wiretapped evidence was admissible in court.

After serving a four-year prison sentence, Olmstead was released in 1931. He lived the rest of his life in Washington, where he became a successful businessman and community leader. He died in 1966.

Legacy

Roy Olmstead's life and career have been the subject of numerous books and documentaries. His story is often cited as an example of the unintended consequences of Prohibition, and his case played a significant role in the development of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.

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  Elise and Roy Olmstead, Seattle, 1925