Bakersfield Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years for Dealing Meth

By David Taub, Senior Reporter

Published 5 years ago on

June 17, 2020

A Bakersfield gang member, arrested in a 2017 gang sweep, will spend more than 20 years in prison for dealing drugs.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said Tommie Thomas, 37, was sentenced in a Fresno federal courtroom to 20 years, six months for distribution of methamphetamine.

Thomas was one of at least 35 West Side Crips members arrested in a multi-agency raid in December 2017. The defendants faced state and federal charges, from drugs and illegal gun possession to murder.

At the time of the arrests, then-Bakersfield Police Chief Lyle Martin said the investigation required a year’s worth of work, telling Bakersfield Now it was a “surgical approach to addressing gang violence.”

Bakersfield Now reported at the time that law enforcement used “wiretaps and undercover drug buys during the investigation.”

All of the defendants in federal custody have either been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to charged offenses, according to a news report from KGET.

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David Taub,

Senior Reporter

Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email