Seattle City Wire

Two men indicted in March 2023 as part of a drug distribution organization associated with an Aryan prison gang were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for drug and gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronaldo McComb, 59, of Ridgefield, Washington, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Isaac Cervantes, 32, of Phoenix was sentenced to 9 years in prison.

At the sentencing hearing for Cervantes, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo remarked on the scale of the crime: “We are talking about massive quantities of controlled substances. This is not some street-level dealer…. The amount of societal harm from these substances is almost immeasurable.” Discussing the firearms involved in the offense, Judge Estudillo added, “these are not small-time firearms, and obviously they’re there to protect the drug trade, and people suffer from the violence involved in this.”

McComb pleaded guilty in June 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm. He acknowledged multiple recorded phone calls with co-conspirators discussing his drug trafficking activities involving distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and creating a distribution network up to Alaska. He further admitted to possessing large quantities of heroin and a 9mm handgun that law enforcement seized from his vehicle following a traffic stop in February 2022.

Authorities arrested McComb on March 22, 2023; on that date they found methamphetamine, heroin, three firearms, and large quantities of cash and gold bars at his Kalama residence. As part of his plea agreement, McComb stipulated to forfeiting that cash and gold as proceeds from his drug trafficking activities.

Cervantes was arrested in Phoenix during the initial takedown operation against the drug ring. He assisted by transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs from Arizona to Washington state and worked at a stash house where powdered fentanyl was pressed into pills.

On July 1, 2021, Cervantes was stopped in Oregon with 50,000 counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills inside a vehicle belonging to one leader within the distribution cell. In November and December 2022 he was linked with a stash house in Shelton where law enforcement later seized approximately 64 kilograms (640 thousand pills) worth of fentanyl along with more than fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of fentanyl powder.

In addition to drugs found at this location were two pill presses used for manufacturing counterfeit pills alongside twenty-three firearms including a silencer plus over $81 thousand dollars cash seized during raids conducted by authorities investigating these operations which led ultimately towards successful convictions obtained through diligent efforts made possible via collaboration among various agencies working together under auspices provided via Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

Prosecutors highlighted dangers posed by fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills: “…first-time users...are sometimes unaware that [they] contain fentanyl...put[ting] their lives at risk...” contributing significantly toward increasing overdose deaths nationwide especially evident within Washington state seeing over twenty-seven percent rise year ending December last according data provided National Center Health Statistics Centers Disease Control Prevention.

The investigation led by FBI included DEA Homeland Security Investigations Washington State Department Corrections local assistance Tacoma Police Department Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Thurston County Narcotics Task Force supported also by several other agencies such as Customs Border Protection Air Marine Lewis County Sheriff Lakewood Police U.S Postal Inspection Service USPIS prosecutorial duties handled Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon Max Shiner