LOS ANGELES – A Rancho San Pedro street gang member who oversaw the group’s daily operations, arranged sales of oxycodone and heroin, and reported to incarcerated Mexican Mafia members about the gang’s activities, was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison.
Robert “Stretch” Messersmith, 34, of San Pedro, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson. Messersmith pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The Rancho San Pedro street gang operates in the San Pedro area of the City of Los Angeles, according to court documents. It operates under the control of the Mexican Mafia and often engages in violence and intimidation to protect its territory. The gang collects “taxes” from drug transactions, and this money was funneled to three Mexican Mafia members who are currently serving lengthy sentences in state prisons for murder convictions.
In furtherance of the conspiracy, from August 2017 to May 2018, Messersmith sold dozens of oxycodone pills, discussed and arranged the sale of heroin and methamphetamine, and planned the smuggling of heroin and other narcotics into a prison. During one recorded telephone conversation in May 2018, Messersmith discussed a recent successful narcotics transaction, stating, “That’s a touchdown like Peyton Manning.”
Messersmith is the lead defendant in a 26-count federal grand jury indictment returned in June 2019 that alleges various narcotics and firearms offenses were committed by 13 Rancho San Pedro members and associates. The indictment’s remaining defendants are scheduled to go to trial on April 27.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives provided substantial assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph D. Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.
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