In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking and firearms offenses in Sacramento, a federal grand jury has indicted several Oak Park gang members and associates. Among the accused is Kevin Antonio Parker, 38, along with a group of associates, including John Kevin Parker, Veronica Brooks, Xavier Surita, Raymundo Escobar, Marcelino Escobar, and Devon Nelson. The indictment includes multiple charges related to drug trafficking and unlawful firearm dealings, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
According to documents from the court, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the investigation zeroed in on two high-profile members of the Oak Park Bloods gang in November 2023 and found them peddling substances such as fentanyl powder and pills, alongside a considerable haul of methamphetamine exceeding 15 pounds. Deemed additionally grave was the discovery of 12 firearms, some of which were privately manufactured and included a machine gun conversion device.
The defendants face an array of charges, with Kevin Parker indicted for a swath of drug offenses involving an assortment including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. His criminal portfolio goes on to include being a felon in possession of a firearm and the handling and transferring of a machine gun. His cohorts – John Parker, Brooks, both Escobars, and Nelson – are tied to varying counts of drug conspiracy and distribution. Raymundo Escobar finds himself with the additional label of a felon in possession of a firearm.
As the law's net tightened, purchases of both meth and guns were established at a variety of Sacramento stash houses. This net captured Maurice Collins, aged 34, on January 28, 2025, where officers, following a search warrant, found Collins at one such house with a firearm, a possession his felony record forbade ensnared within the same indictment.
The collaborative effort that brought this indictment to fruition was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit provided support. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Nicole Vanek are at the helm of the prosecution effort.
Should the accused be found guilty, the mandatory minimum stands at 10 years in prison. At stake is the possibility of life imprisonment and fines that could balloon up to $10 million for the primary defendants. Collins, on the other hand, while entangled in the same net, may face up to 15 years and fines reaching $250,000. However, it's worth noting that these are but allegations; the accused have the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt.
