Alaska Drug Trafficking: DHS Sentences California Man And Leader Of The Gang In Prison

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alaska announced the sentencing of the leader of a major drug trafficking group to federal prison on May 14. The accused is a California native and was allegedly well known for his involvement in the illegal operation.

Court documents reveal that the accused started the drug trafficking operation in spring 2022. His accomplices included two family members and two gang members from Southern California. Authorities first learned of the operation after the landlord of an apartment they rented reported suspicious activity on the property.

44-year-old Tyrone Hampton was sentenced to 15 years in prison for leading the drug trafficking group. He moved his pregnant wife and accomplice, Stephanie Blanchard, from California to Alaska to participate in the illegal operation.

The other two accomplices were Keith Crossley and Lawrence McGirt, who, along with Hampton, were known to be a trio of gang members from Southern California. After arriving in Alaska, the group began selling illegal drugs, including fentanyl and heroin.

Although the first suspicions were raised by the landlord of an apartment in Wasilla, authorities did not uncover the operation until a package containing fentanyl pills was flagged by postal inspectors.

Court documents reveal that Hampton’s main contact in the drug trade was Kevyn Watson, who was already serving a 40-year prison sentence in Oklahoma. Prosecutors said Watson used contraband cellphones to coordinate the shipment of multiple drug packages through the mail.

One such package containing fentanyl pills was flagged as suspicious in April 2022. According to court documents, the pills were hidden inside pillows and shipped to the apartment in Wasilla. Because the parcel did not include an apartment number, authorities searched it and made the discovery.

The Alaska State Troopers were alerted to drug contraband being transported to and from the apartment in Wasilla. Authorities later executed a search warrant. During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted another suspicious package mailed to the address. This time, it contained heroin.

Investigators also discovered that Hampton had sent a wire payment of nearly $2,500 to the jailed Watson through two members of the group in California. After his arrest, Hampton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute drugs and one count of money laundering.

Attorney Michael J. Heyman spoke while sentencing Hampton. He revealed that the suspect had no other legitimate source of income besides drug trafficking.

In his words, “Mr. Hampton is a career criminal who moved his family and friends to Alaska for the sole purpose of peddling poison to our communities. With no legitimate source or income, an extensive criminal history, gang membership, and a propensity to seek out crime, Mr. Hampton poses a significant risk to community safety. Communities in both Alaska and California are safer knowing that this defendant will be behind bars for the next 15 years.”