Tessa M. Gorman, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington
A key figure in a drug distribution network linked to Aryan prison gangs has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Michael Slocumb, aged 46, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for his involvement in the conspiracy and possession of firearms related to drug trafficking. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the sentence.
Slocumb attempted to evade law enforcement by relocating the drug operations to Arizona after a stash house he operated with partners in Shelton, Washington, was raided in December 2022. He was arrested at his new residence in Arizona during a law enforcement operation targeting the drug ring in March 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo remarked on the dangers of fentanyl pills during the sentencing hearing: “People become addicted to these drugs . . . they end up taking a bad dose and that ends their time on this Earth.” He also commented on Slocumb's firearms: “The firearms involved here are extremely serious and the types of firearms make me wonder what they may have been used for.”
Court records reveal that Slocumb made several trips to Arizona in late 2022 to transport narcotics back to the Shelton stash house, where fentanyl pills were manufactured using two pill presses. The raid on December 9, 2022, resulted in the seizure of over 640,000 fentanyl pills, one kilogram of fentanyl powder, twelve kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than $81,000 from drug trafficking activities.
The property contained twenty-three firearms including a shotgun stored alongside drugs and pill manufacturing equipment. In Slocumb’s vehicle were several weapons including a loaded .40 caliber pistol behind the front seat and additional firearms found within a suitcase.
Law enforcement intercepted communications between Slocumb and ringleader Bryson Gill discussing plans to kidnap a rival dealer. After moving operations post-raid, both continued trafficking until their arrest in March 2023 when authorities seized approximately seventy firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition from an Arizona property.
Slocumb pleaded guilty in November 2024 to charges related to conspiracy for distributing controlled substances and firearm possession tied to drug trafficking crimes.
Prosecutors sought a fifteen-year sentence citing Slocumb’s role as an enforcer within the conspiracy: “Slocumb’s conduct...involved massive numbers of firearms...He played a trusted role...acting as an enforcer—he took direction from Gill...and conspired with Gill to kidnap..."
Bryson Gill pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, with sentencing set for May 9, while Jesse Bailey—the top-level leader—and his wife Candace Bailey face upcoming sentencing dates.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal networks through collaborative efforts among federal agencies like FBI along with state and local law enforcement bodies.
Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer are prosecuting this case.
