DA Ron Freitas Announces 16-Year Prison Sentence for Repeat Offender Operating Stockton Drug Lab

San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas announced that Paul Anthony Thomas was sentenced today to 16 years in state prison. The sentencing follows a June 25, 2026, trial before the Honorable Judge Lance Jacot, where a San Joaquin County jury found Thomas guilty of six felony charges, including manufacturing a controlled substance and the possession for sale of cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Due to a prior 1997 "strike" conviction for continuous sexual abuse of a child, Thomas faced heightened sentencing exposure.

The convictions stem from a search warrant executed by the Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force on July 10, 2024, at an apartment located at 4460 Cotton Court, Apt. 4, in Stockton. Task force agents discovered that Thomas was utilizing the apartment as a narcotics stash house and was actively converting cocaine hydrochloride into cocaine base ("crack" cocaine). Thomas was apprehended inside a locked bedroom where agents seized 145 grams of crack cocaine, 125 grams of powder cocaine, 52 grams of methamphetamine, 25.5 grams of heroin, and 3.6 grams of fentanyl, alongside an operational conversion laboratory.

"Operating an active chemical laboratory to manufacture crack cocaine while stockpiling a lethal cocktail of heroin, meth, and fentanyl is an extreme threat to public safety," said District Attorney Ron Freitas. "This 16-year state prison sentence removes a significant source of poison from our streets and holds a dangerous, repeat offender fully accountable. Our office remains unyielding in our mission to aggressively prosecute those who traffic deadly substances and compromise the safety of our neighborhoods."

The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office extends its gratitude to the entire Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force for their highly coordinated and diligent work on this investigation. A special thank you is given to case agent Officer Justin Maggio and investigating officer Agent Matthew Felber for their meticulous investigative work.

The successful prosecution was led by Deputy District Attorney Jocelyn Weisbrich, who expertly secured the trial conviction.