Bay Area man sentenced to more than 9 years in prison for drug trafficking

OAKLAND, Calif. – A Bay Area man was sentenced Monday to 112 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, following a multiagency probe that included special agents with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Joseph Edward Conner, 47, of Bay Point, admitted he negotiated the sale of methamphetamine on three separate occasions. According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2014, Conner negotiated the sale of a half-pound of 99 percent pure methamphetamine for $3,000. Conner sold the drugs to an undercover task force officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the parking lot of the Sun Valley Mall in Concord.

Later, Conner used text messages to arrange another meeting with the undercover officer that took place Nov. 6, 2014, at the same parking lot. During that meeting, Conner handed the undercover officer a pound of 99.5 percent pure methamphetamine in exchange for $5,400. The third transaction, which occurred Dec. 16, 2014, involved three pounds of 97.5 percent pure methamphetamine. In that instance, Conner sought to sell the drugs for $14,400, but was arrested prior to completing the sale.

Conner was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2015 on three counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty to all three counts in August 2016.

In addition to the prison term, Conner was sentenced to three years’ supervised release. Following his arrest Dec. 16, 2014, he was released on a $150,000 secured bond. Conner was ordered to surrender on or before June 9, to begin serving his sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Claudia A. Quiroz, Andrew Dawson, and David Countryman prosecuted the case.

The prosecution is the result of a DEA-led investigation, with assistance provided by HSI; Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office; and the South San Francisco, Oakland, Oakland School, Walnut Creek, and San Ramon police departments.

To report suspicious activity, call ICE’s 24-hour, toll-free hotline at: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or visit www.ice.gov/tips