Sacramento Standard

Jamar Deontae Barnes, a 42-year-old resident of Stockton, has admitted to his role in a conspiracy involving the manufacturing and distribution of pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert following Barnes' guilty plea on Tuesday.

Court documents reveal that between September 2015 and May 2019, Barnes collaborated with his twin brother, Jamaine Dontae Barnes, among others, to produce and sell thousands of drug-laced pills. Utilizing pill presses to compress powders into various pill shapes and sizes, they created pills that resembled legitimate prescription medications but contained substances such as fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, heroin, and other synthetic opioids. Additionally, they produced pills mimicking Ecstasy but actually containing methamphetamine. A search conducted on May 16, 2019 at Jamar Barnes’ Stockton home led to the seizure of a pill press machine along with powders and pills containing methamphetamine and furanyl fentanyl.

The investigation was carried out by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; California Highway Patrol; San Joaquin METRO Narcotics Task Force; Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force; Stockton Police Department; Sacramento County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force; and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Spencer and Emily G. Sauvageau are handling the prosecution.

Nine additional defendants have also entered guilty pleas:

- Jamaine Dontae Barnes is set for sentencing on March 24, 2025.

- Kavio Daeshaun Lee Wiley received a sentence of 15 years in prison.

- Vincent Isaiah Patterson will be sentenced on January 28, 2025.

- Johnesha Denae Thompson's sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2025.

- Kadrena Latrice Watts will be sentenced on March 17, 2025.

- Jeremy Jerome Barnett was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison.

- Chevele Bernard Richardson received a sentence of 79 months in prison.

- Tashawn Terrell Dickerson was sentenced to serve 46 months in prison.

- Lamont Montez Thibodeaux is set for sentencing on March 24, 2025.

Jamar Barnes faces potential life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years when he appears before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 3rd next year. The final sentence will be determined based on statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines which consider various elements.

This case forms part of an effort under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which focuses on identifying high-level criminal organizations threatening national security through a coordinated approach involving prosecutors leading intelligence-driven operations across multiple agencies.

For more details about OCDETF initiatives visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.