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Press Release

Sacramento, California, Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and for Using a Communication Facility to Commit a Drug Felony

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Sacramento, California, man, Tommy V. Tran, 28, of the 8000 block of Danbury Park Court, was sentenced on May 4, 2022, by United States District Judge Sue Myerscough to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine and for using a communication facility to commit a drug felony.

Judge Myerscough determined Tran, along with five co-defendants, between August 1, 2018 and February 11, 2019, knowingly conspired to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Judge Myerscough specifically found Tran was responsible for over 1,400 grams of methamphetamine and over 2,500 grams of marijuana. The drugs were shipped from California to Missouri and eventually to Adams and Pike Counties in Illinois. Tran was also convicted of using a communication facility, namely a telephone, to facilitate the conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute and the distribution of methamphetamine.

Judge Myerscough further found that Tran had acted as a supervisor, organizer, or leader in the criminal activity as he had recruited individuals to send the drugs via the United States Postal Service and commercial carriers and to pay for the drugs via electronic banking transactions. The Court also concluded Tran possessed numerous dangerous weapons.

Previously, co-defendant Shawn Davis was sentenced by Judge Myerscough to 144 months’ imprisonment. Cases against other co-defendants remain pending. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Tran was indicted in March 2019 and pleaded guilty in November 2021. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals since being arrested in California in February 2019.

The statutory penalties for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine are not more than life in prison, not more than a $10 million fine, and not less than five years of supervised release. The statutory penalties for use of communication facility to commit a drug felony are not more than four years in prison, not more than a $30,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Jacobs stated that “the successful prosecution of Tran shows how OCDETF can be used to bring together local, state, and federal resources to target and imprison high-level drug dealers.” 

“Disrupting drug traffickers like Tran is a critical part of our mission and an example of the effectiveness of our task force partnerships,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “The sentence handed down today reflects the tireless effort of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to investigate criminal enterprises operating within our communities and bring to justice those who endanger public health and safety.”

The West Central Illinois Task Force; Quincy Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; and Drug Enforcement Agency, St. Louis Division, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.

Updated May 10, 2022

Topic
Drug Trafficking