A major cocaine trafficker from Sacramento, Maurice Bryant, 54, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after a lengthy investigation and prosecution by U.S. law enforcement agencies. Bryant, the leader of a large drug trafficking ring, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess heroin, as well as over 5,000 grams of cocaine and additional amounts of crack cocaine. He pled guilty to the charges in March 2024.
Bryant was one of 15 defendants indicted in 2021 after a comprehensive, multi-agency operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aimed at dismantling a cocaine and heroin distribution network. The investigation extended beyond Sacramento, with links to Southern California and Mexico, illustrating the wide reach of the trafficking organization.
A key figure in the ring, Bryant was discovered through a 60-day wiretap, during which authorities intercepted his involvement in smuggling cocaine across the Mexican border and distributing it within the U.S. He was also found to have converted powder cocaine into crack cocaine at his residence, where law enforcement later seized drug trafficking paraphernalia, two loaded firearms, and a military-grade bulletproof vest.
According to DEA Special Agent Wade R. Shannon, this sentencing represents a significant victory in the fight against drug trafficking: “This criminal organization utilized an interstate drug pipeline that reached far beyond the Sacramento region. These arrests underscore our commitment to rid communities of drug trafficking networks and the poison they peddle.”
The other defendants, ranging in age from 34 to 62, were similarly charged and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. The investigation and arrests were part of a larger effort by the U.S. Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), targeting major drug traffickers, money launderers, and transnational criminal organizations.
This high-profile case highlights the continued work of federal, state, and local law enforcement in combating the drug trade and dismantling criminal organizations responsible for spreading dangerous narcotics across the U.S.