Federal indictment accuses 7 Sacramento residents of selling drugs and guns for Oak Park gang
A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted seven Sacramento residents accused of trafficking drugs and selling guns on behalf of the Oak Park Bloods gang, prosecutors said.
The 15-count indictment charged Kevin Antonio Parker, 38; John Kevin Parker, 45; Veronica Brooks, 42; Xavier Surita, 36; Raymundo Escobar, 27; Marcelino Escobar, 23; and Devon Nelson, 33, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Sacramento announced Friday in a news release.
In November 2023, law enforcement began investigating two high-ranking Oak Park Bloods gang members. Prosecutors said investigators learned Kevin Parker and his associates sold fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine. They’re also accused of selling 12 firearms including privately manufactured firearms, also known as ghost guns, and a firearm with a machine gun conversion device.
Kevin Parker faces drug charges involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, along with allegations of being a felon in possession of a gun, unlawful dealing in firearms and possessing and transferring a machine gun, according to the U. S. Attorney’s Office.
John Parker, Brooks, Raymundo Escobar, Marcelino Escobar and Nelson were charged with drug conspiracy and distribution. Prosecutors said Raymundo Escobar faces an additional charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the investigation, undercover law enforcement officers made purchases of meth and guns at stash houses in Sacramento.
The grand jury indictment supersedes criminal complaints filed by federal prosecutors last month as a result of the investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The federal investigators were helped by the Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit.
In a separate Sacramento County case, Kevin Parker faces charges of attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a gun. He has been in custody since Jan. 8 at the Sacramento County Main Jail. He’s scheduled to return to court Feb. 26 in the attempted murder case.
