TACOMA, Wash. — This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
A Tacoma man was sentenced Thursday for his high-level role in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy.
Michael Young Jr., 44, will spend seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced.
Young was part of a group that distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the U.S., including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia.
“Every pill you moved was a loaded gun — the sentence needs to hold you accountable for the lives you endangered,” U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead said at the sentencing hearing.
Tacoma man connected to alleged Renton family-based drug trafficking ring
The ring was allegedly led by 32-year-old Marquis Jackson, who lived in Atlanta and with his parents, 51-year-old Mandel Jackson and 50-year-old Matelita (Marty) Jackson, in Renton. Also linked to the Renton family were 22-year-old Markell Jackson and 23-year-old Miracle Patu-Jackson, according to the attorney’s office.
Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts, including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records in the case also link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle-area gang, the attorney’s office stated.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine, and 29 firearms, along with more than $116,000 in cash.
Four people were arrested in Whatcom County on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. The Whatcom County drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization, according to the complaints.
In September 2023, four tribal citizens in Whatcom County died of fentanyl overdoses within four days, which prompted the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency, the attorney’s office noted.
Tribal and federal partners discovered that one of the overdose victims was connected to the Jackson drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement is continuing to investigate additional members of the organization.
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