Federal Judge Dale A Drozd dropped the hammer on one of Bakersfield’s most notorious gang members Monday.
In a Fresno courtroom, Drozd sentenced Jarvis “Big Mice” Thomas, 34, to 320 months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring.
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According to court documents and evidence at trial, between Sept. 27, 2017, and Sept. 11, 2018, Thomas conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine in Bakersfield and North Dakota.
On Dec. 14, 2017, after a 10-month investigation, more than 35 members and associates of the West Side Crips were arrested on federal and state charges including burglary, illegal gun possession, drug sales, and murder.
Subsequently, all the defendants in federal custody except Thomas pleaded guilty to charged offenses. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Scott and Thomas Newman prosecuted the case.
The website unitedgangs.com says the West Side Crips built a reputation for viciousness and gun violence until the Department of Justice launched “Operation Blind Mice” two years ago. The DOJ based the operation’s name on the fact that many West Side Crips used rodent-themed nicknames on the streets.
