Drug Convictions: A Message To L.A. Gangs

Seven months ago, members of a Tacoma Police Department and FBI anti-gang task force visited an apartment on Orchard Street in Tacoma, where they found an ounce of crack cocaine, a rifle and three handguns in plain view.

Each of the four men in the apartment acknowledged they were Blood Stone Villain gang members from Los Angeles, according to federal court records. The agents seized the cocaine and guns and advised the men to leave Washington state immediately.

Yesterday, three of those Bloods and six associates were convicted in federal court in Tacoma in connection with selling cocaine last year.

``This was a very important case,'' said U.S. Attorney Mike McKay after the convictions were returned yesterday afternoon. ``These are nine Bloods - nine leaders - from Los Angeles who played a significant role in the Tacoma area. Convictions and maximum sentences will send a message to Los Angeles gangs: Don't come here!''

Those convicted represented a drug-dealing group that federal and local officials have been trying hard to keep out of the Puget Sound area the past two years, prosecutors argued during the trial this month.

The suspects, who grew up together in California, came to the Puget Sound area to take over drug-dealing in East Tacoma, according to prosecutors.

Those convicted were Ricky Hazellette, also known as ``Big Red''; Frank Moore, known as ``Zulu''; Sean Johnson, known as ``Ted''; James Sutton, known as ``B.J.''; Jeffrey Jefferson, known as ``Fly''; Brady James, known as ``Dillenger''; Victor Valentine, known as ``Taco''; Tyrone Kelly, known as ``Trouble''; and Will Smith, known as ``Smiley.''

Prosecutors sought to convict all the suspects of conspiracy, which can bring sentences of up to 20 years in prison. The drug and weapons charges each carries a mandatory sentence of five years.

All the defendants were convicted of drug-related charges. Seven were convicted of conspiracy: Hazellette, Moore, Johnson, Sutton, Jefferson, Valentine and Smith.

At sentencing next month, prosecutors hope to present prior convictions for Hazellette, Moore, Jefferson and Sutton in an attempt to classify them as ``career offenders,'' which would almost guarantee 20 to 30 years in prison for each.

To illustrate that the conspiracy involved taking cash proceeds from drug sales back to Los Angeles, prosecutors cited an incident last June 2 in which Hazellette was stopped in California after a flight from Tacoma. Hazellette was with two women companions at the time. Officers discovered $72,626 in cash stuffed in the women's undergarments.

Since the U.S. Attorney's Office began coordinating task forces of federal and local law-enforcement officers to keep California gangs out of the Puget Sound area, more than 100 Los Angeles gang members have been prosecuted in King and Pierce counties.