A Pierce County woman, identified as 39-year-old C'La Morales, has been sentenced to a total of 84 months in prison for her role in a drug ring and firearms possession. The sentence, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, breaks down to 24 months on one count and a consecutive 60 months on a second count.
Her arrest came as part of a larger operation targeting three drug distribution organizations with links to Aryan prison gangs. Acting as a high-level drug redistributor, Morales was caught up in wiretap evidence showing her involvement in the purchase and distribution of heroin and fentanyl pills. At her sentencing, U.S. District Judge David Estudillo noted, "You took on the responsibility to distribute large quantities of controlled substances. You had to know those were going to … lead to addiction and wreak havoc for those individuals and their families, friends, and loved ones."
During a search of Morales’ storage locker and vehicle, agents discovered 5,815 fentanyl-laced pills and 480 grams of heroin together with a loaded Mossberg shotgun and cash earnings amounting to $5,183. Another search yielded two pistols with loaded magazines found in a lock box on the floorboard of her car, between the front driver and passenger seat. Prosecutors sought a decade-long sentence due to her previous convictions and continued criminal activity, highlighting the challenge to trust her compliance with any future treatment programs given her history of trafficking while armed.
Morales' sentence also includes five years of supervised release post-prison term. Her conviction is one among approximately two dozen stemming from a comprehensive probe into South Sound-based drug trafficking rings, a detail emphasized by the U.S. Attorney's Office while announcing the sentence. Morales, having previously been arrested in 2019 for drug trafficking while armed, was on warrant status for the Pierce County drug court program at the time of her latest offense.
