The leader of a group that sold heroin and meth in Alaska was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for a drug and money laundering conspiracy.
Phillip Dixon Jr., aka "Cheddar," was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In mid-April, Dixon, of Manteca, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and meth and conspiracy to launder money.
Between April 2012 and April 2013, members of the organization would travel from California to Alaska to sell drugs, prosecutors said in the release. Then they would send the drug money back to California through wire transfers and bank deposits. Guns were used to protect profits and "enforce their drug trade."
"During the investigation, firearms were seized from members of this violent organization," the statement says.
Eleven others have been indicted and sentenced in connection with the drug trafficking group. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, many of the co-defendants Dixon recruited didn't have a previous criminal history.
As part of his plea deal, Dixon agreed to forfeit two cars, $3,400 seized from an account used to launder money and $25,000 from a safe deposit box.