SACRAMENTO — On May 27, 2016, Michael Deshone Mathews, 42, of Elk Grove, was sentenced  to 11 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

"This man was involved in a drug trafficking scheme in which he obtained prescription and other drugs in Sacramento and transported them up to the state of Washington," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  "Numerous agencies on the local, state and federal level, worked together to bust this operation wide open and see to a successful prosecution."

According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating reports in 2014 that Mathews was purchasing prescription medications from people  in the Sacramento area. At the same time, investigators learned that Mathews was receiving cash deposits into various bank accounts from another state.

The investigation revealed that Mathews was meeting individuals with apparently legitimate prescriptions and paying those individuals in exchange for pills obtained from pharmacies. Mathews would then transport the pills to Washington state and receive payment for their resale through bank deposits.

When law enforcement officers searched Mathew’s home, vehicle, and storage locker, they found large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription medications. Agents also found a large number of firearms and body armor.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Probation Department, the Nevada County Sherriff’s Department, the United States Marshals Service, the California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Elk Grove Police Department.