BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - In a case that is the product of the 10-month investigation into the Bakersfield criminal street gang known as the West Side Crips (WSC), a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today against alleged WSC member Jarvis Thomas, 32, charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
An additional narcotics charge was also included against alleged WSC member Tommie Thomas, who was previously charged in the underlying indictment.
According to court documents, on Nov. 1, 2017, alleged WSC members Jarvis Thomas, Tommie Thomas and Augustus Crawford (now deceased) conspired to purchase, and did purchase, at least four pounds of methamphetamine from Luis Fernandez, another co‑defendant charged in the original indictment.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Bakersfield Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Vincenza Rabenn are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Jarvis Thomas, Tommie Thomas and Luis Fernandez face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
