Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
In January, U.S. District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson sentenced mastermind Michael "West Coast" Sanchez to 14½ years in prison and five years of probation.
A large methamphetamine distribution ring operating in the Philadelphia area and Bucks County, with its base of operations in Montgomery County, has been dismantled, and four individuals connected to the operation have been sentenced to prison.
According to federal authorities, the ring was involved in shipping meth and cocaine from California to Plymouth Township, where it was then distributed throughout various locations in the region, including Reading, Quakertown, Bensalem, and Coopersburg.
The leader of the operation, Michael Sanchez, 33, known as “West Coast,” was identified as the mastermind behind the meth trafficking scheme, authorities said. The Angeleno managed shipments from California, frequently traveling to the Philadelphia area to pick up drugs, collect money from dealers, and deposit it into bank accounts, per investigators.
His role was critical in overseeing the distribution of the drugs across the region, leading to his significant involvement in the case, authorities said.
In January, U.S. District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson sentenced Sanchez to 14½ years in prison and five years of probation.
Three other members of the operation, all of whom pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges, were also sentenced: Aived Abel Garcia aka “Nephew” was given five years and 10 months, while Miguel “Migz” Aliaga and Avrian Haywood Mack aka “The Kid” were both given five years in prison, with five years of probation for each of them, authorities said.
The investigation involved Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Montgomery County detectives, among others.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
