SACRAMENTO, Calif — 15 people from the greater Sacramento region have been indicted for charges related to drug trafficking, according to the Department of Justice.
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that the majority of the defendants were allegedly in possession of, and had intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and 280 grams of cocaine base. Two members of the group are also accused of possessing and intending to distribute heroin.
Other charges levied on the group include possessing firearms as felons and using communication facilities to facilitate drug trafficking offenses.
According to court documents, law enforcement was able to bust the drug trafficking ring after wiretapping several of the defendants' phones in 2018 and 2019.
The following people were arrested and charged in connection with these crimes:
- 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
- Mark Martin, 62, of Sacrament0
In all, the indictment included 45 counts against the 15 defendants. Their alleged criminal activities reportedly had far-reaching influence.
“This criminal organization utilized an interstate drug pipeline that reached far beyond the Sacramento region,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon in the press release. “These arrests underscore our commitment to rid communities of drug trafficking networks and the poison they peddle.”
Bryant, Harden, Anderson, Carter, Conner, Adams, Haney, Caine, Martin, White, Hellams, Tolbert, Steven Hampton, and Michael Hampton now face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine if convicted.
Anderson and Ontiveros, the two who were also indicted for crimes related to possessing and intending to distribute heroin, also face 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted.
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