Federal prosecutors said eight people were arrested and more than a ton of drugs and several vehicles were seized after a lengthy investigation revealed two national drug trafficking groups were working out of the same block in Compton.
A total of 15 defendants were charged with distributing narcotics in two criminal complaints filed last week in U.S. District Court, the result of an investigation that lasted more than two years. Eight people were arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday morning. Officials also seized more than a ton of marijuana and thousands of prescription pills during the bust.
Prosecutors say one of the drug rings used a Compton house as a meeting location, and the other used the second house as a "notorious" location to sell the drugs.
One of the rings was allegedly headed by Deverick Deshawn "Dog" Mathis, who authorities said is involved in the Compton-based Front Hood Crips. He was arrested Thursday, along with Stephen Carr, 38, of Fontana; Kiison Jordon, 34, of Long Beach; Lakeisha Andrews, 39, of Los Angeles; and Mathis' wife, Shontrice Crine James, 38, of La Habra.
Authorities believe Mathis' ring had strong ties to Ohio and also operated in Arizona.
The second ring was allegedly led by Dion Grim, whom authorities have also linked to the Front Hood Crips. Prosecutors say Grim controlled marijuana sales from a house on West Stockwell Street in Compton and also sold prescription pills in Louisiana. Grim was arrested Friday morning, along with Don Taylor, 32, of Compton, and Chauntay Sharee Rouzan, 32, of Carson.
All 15 defendants named in the complaints are charged with conspiring to distribute narcotics. If convicted, they face 20 years in federal prison.
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-- Kate Mather
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