A California man was sentenced Monday for charges stemming to a drug-related arrest made in 2021 in Grayland.

Anthony Morales, 45, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 126 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle.

The arrest, made in cooperation with other local and federal agencies, was made as the result of a year-long investigation by the Grays Harbor County Drug Task Force, said Sgt. Darrin King.

The breaking COVID pandemic, the Capitol Hill protests in Seattle, and national protests against the conduct of law enforcement meant there wasn’t any assistance to be had with the investigation, King said, prolonging the effort. Finally, law enforcement was able to get the investigation to a point where they were ready to make arrests.

“This one started with Grays Harbor Drug Task Force. It just worked perfect with this situation,” King said. “There was an ongoing investigation where we were able to identify a source. We were able to use a drug dealer that had been arrested locally to order up from his source and we were able to lure him this way and take him down in the stolen motorhomes.”

Morales and other suspects, whose sentencings are coming up in the near future, were using two RVs bought under false identities to transport drugs. Morales and three others were arrested on March 31, 2021, the The Daily World previously reported.

“Our mission and our goal is to cut the head off the snake,” King said. “We want to get the drugs before they get to Grays Harbor.”

Law enforcement personnel from the Drug Task Force, the DEA, Centralia Police Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State DOC raided the two RVs at Grayland Beach State Park, according to the news release.

Police seized more than a kilogram of meth, more than half a kilogram of fentanyl pills, 12 guns — some of which had been deserialized, ammunition and high-capacity magazines, the two RVs and two other vehicles. Police also recovered $24,000 in cash, and equipment and proceeds of identity theft, including drivers licenses, Social Security cards, passports and a credit card reader/writer, according to the news release.

“He was delivering to someone here who was distributing a lot of drugs to Grays Harbor,” King said. “We were able to take that down and dismantle that organization.”

Assistant U.S Attorney Max Shiner prosecuted the case, according to the news release. The next defendant in the case, Anthony Baccillieri, is due to be sentenced on April 24, according to court documents.

“We’re trying to stop this,” King said. “This is the meat and potatoes of how these drugs are getting here.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.