By Bee Staff
A U.S. District Court judge sentenced today a Natomas man to almost 18 years in prison for distributing crack cocaine throughout the Sacramento area, according to the U.S. Attorney in Sacramento.
Anthony Washington, 60, received a sentence of 17 years and 6 months for running the drug operation in the early months of 2006, said U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner.
Washington was found guilty by a jury on April 16 with co-defendant Douglas Frost, Wagner said.
The case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sacramento Police Department.
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Ferrari and Jean M. Hobler, who prosecuted the case, the evidence at trial showed that Washington was Frost's primary supplier of cocaine and cocaine base (also called crack cocaine), providing a fresh supply equivalent to one to two ounces of cocaine base on a daily or near daily basis, Wagner said.
Wagner said the two men operated like this:
Washington provided the cocaine or cocaine base to Frost without payment, known as "fronting." Frost converted the powder cocaine to cocaine base and then sold it to a variety of customers.
When Frost sold all of his supply, he would return to Washington, pay for the drugs he'd just sold and obtain a new supply.
The jury convicted Washington of conspiring with Frost to sell at least 50 grams of cocaine base, all of which was sold to an undercover DEA agent. Frost pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in 2006, Wagner said.
Judge Morrison C. England Jr., in sentencing the defendant, applied sentencing guidelines applicable to powder cocaine rather than cocaine base, and found that Washington was a career offender, with an extensive criminal history dating back to 1968, Wagner said.
Judge England said that the amount of criminal activity Washington engaged in was "one of the highest levels" that he had seen, Wagner said.
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