Ryan Gines, a 44-year-old resident of Hanford, has been sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
The case stems from Operation Red Reaper, which began in March 2019 as a joint effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies targeting the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. Investigators found that Nuestra Familia was involved in large-scale methamphetamine distribution as well as firearms offenses and violent crimes. As a result of the operation, federal charges were filed against 21 individuals involved in drug trafficking activities.
Wiretap evidence collected in May 2019 revealed that Gines conspired with others to acquire and distribute over five pounds of methamphetamine. Using information obtained from the wiretap, authorities stopped a vehicle transporting the drugs shortly after midnight; a search led to the discovery of the narcotics.
Multiple agencies contributed to this investigation, including the Kings County Gang Task Force; agents from the Special Operations Unit—a team composed of personnel from the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; FBI; Kings County District Attorney’s Office; Tulare County Sheriff’s Office; DEA; ATF; U.S. Marshals Service; and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.
“This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone,” stated officials in their release. “On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
The investigation was also conducted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal organizations threatening public safety through coordinated efforts among prosecutors and multiple agencies using intelligence-driven strategies.
For more details about OCDETF’s work combating organized crime groups nationwide visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
