A 66-year-old Tacoma man, Ronnie Griffin, has been handed a 75-month prison sentence for his part in a drug trafficking ring associated with the Aryan Family prison gang. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo imposed the sentence, highlighting Griffin's extensive criminal history and the lack of deterrence past sentences had on his criminal behavior, as disclosed in his sentencing remarks which were acquired by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation into this drug ring by federal and regional law enforcement uncovered significant quantities of narcotics, cash, and weapons. Griffin, documented as a redistributor and confidant to his stepson and drug ring leader Jesse Bailey, was arrested in possession of two firearms and substantial amounts of illicit substances. According to details from the case records, over a two-year period, agents seized 223 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 830,000 fentanyl pills amongst other drugs, and over $300,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
Prosecutors had sought a ten-year sentence for Griffin, whose criminal record includes a myriad of convictions ranging from theft to identity theft to possession of drugs. Griffin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on August 1 and has remained in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since March 2023. "You have a terrible history, there's no doubt about it," said Judge Estudillo in a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This sentencing is the latest in a series of convictions within the drug trafficking syndicate coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The task force employs an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach in its operations, with this particular case being led by the FBI, alongside critical assistance from the DEA, HSI, and multiple Washington state law enforcement agencies. Jesse James Bailey, the ring's leader, entered a guilty plea last month and is awaiting sentencing set for February 28, 2025. Griffin's conviction marks him as the sixth member of the group to be sentenced, with others receiving prison time ranging from 20 to 50 months for less involved defendants and as much as 13 years for more involved individuals.
