California Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Conspiracy

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Franklin W. Jackson, age 29, of San Diego, California, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a drug-trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine in Onondaga County and elsewhere in Central New York.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Jackson admitted that from approximately October 2020 through December 2020, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Central New York, which had been transported from California. Jackson further admitted that in December 2020, he and others loaded 11 vacuum-sealed packages containing more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine into a rental car, which a coconspirator planned to drive from California to Syracuse, New York. Jackson admitted that he drove a separate car close behind the rental car, to make sure that the coconspirator did not abscond with the methamphetamine and also to act as a diversion to any law enforcement officers who attempted to stop the rental car carrying the drugs. Before ultimately being stopped by police in the area of Oklahoma City, Jackson did attempt to prevent them from stopping the rental car carrying the drugs.

United States District Judge David N. Hurd also ordered Jackson to serve a 4-year term of supervised release to follow his release from prison.

This case was investigated by DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York State Police-Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (NYSP-VGNET), Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, Syracuse Police Department, Oklahoma City Police Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.