Fifteen indicted in ‘large scale’ drug trafficking in Sacramento area, prosecutors say
A federal grand jury on Thursday issued a 45-count indictment against 15 people in an alleged “large-scale” conspiracy to traffic cocaine, cocaine base and heroin in the Sacramento area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
From March 1, 2018, through May 19, law enforcement officials seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, a kilogram of heroin and a half of a kilogram of cocaine base, along with guns as part of this drug trafficking investigation, according to the news release from acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert in Sacramento.
“This investigation and indictment results in the dismantling of a network of long-time leaders and organizers in a regional cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine distribution chain that stretches beyond the Eastern District of California, through Southern California, and into Mexico,” Talbert said in the news release.
Those listed as defendants in the federal indictment are: Tyrone Anderson, 40, of Sacramento; Maurice Bryant, 51, of Antelope; Yovanny Ontiveros, 41, of Sacramento; Alex White, 61, of North Highlands; Jason Tolbert, 44, of Sacramento; Andre Hellams, 38, of North Highlands; Michael Hampton, 57, of Vallejo; Steven Hampton, 61, of Sacramento; Wilmer Harden, 52, of Elk Grove; Charles Sidney Carter, 34, of Sacramento; Bobby Conner, 50, of Sacramento; Jerome Adams, 54, of North Highlands; Dwight Haney, 49, of Sacramento; Arlington Caine, 47, of Rio Linda; and Mark Martin, 62, of Sacramento.
The indictment charges Bryant, Harden, Anderson, Carter, Conner, Adams, Haney, Caine, Martin, White, Hellams, Tolbert, Steven Hampton and Michael Hampton with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal prosecutors said the indictment also charges Anderson and Ontiveros with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.
Some of the defendants face charges of distributing cocaine and cocaine base, possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possessing with intent to distribute heroin, possessing guns as felons and using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking offenses, according to the news release.
