The head of a large-scale drug trafficking ring in Sacramento has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following a lengthy investigation and legal proceedings.
Maurice Bryant, aged 54, received his sentence for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess heroin, as well as at least 5,000 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine. Bryant was identified as a key figure among 15 federal defendants arrested in 2021 and charged in a 45-count indictment.
The arrests were made as part of an operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in collaboration with various local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The focus of the investigation was on cocaine and heroin traffickers in North Sacramento, with connections extending beyond the immediate area.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California determined Bryant to be the leader of a major cocaine distribution network.
During a 60-day wiretap investigation, Bryant was found to play a crucial role in the transportation of cocaine across the Mexican border and the distribution of over five kilograms of cocaine to his co-conspirators. Additionally, Bryant was involved in converting significant amounts of powder cocaine into crack cocaine at his residence.
Authorities confiscated drug-related items, two loaded firearms, and a military-grade bulletproof vest from Bryant’s home.
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Bryant entered a guilty plea in March 2024 in connection with the case.
Law enforcement officials stated that the dismantling of the trafficking ring disrupted a network of experienced leaders and coordinators involved in regional cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine distribution that reached as far as Southern California and Mexico.
The other defendants, who were all indicted in June 2021, include Tyrone Anderson, Yovanny Ontiveros, Alex White, Jason Tolbert, Andre Hellams, Michael Hampton, Steven Hampton, Wilmer Harden, Charles Sidney Carter, Bobby Conner, Jerome Adams, Dwight Haney, Arlington Caine, and Mark Martin.
The investigation was led by the DEA and involved various agencies such as the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriffâs Office, and the Sacramento Police Department.
