The last of more than 20 people tied to a Mountain View grocery store drug and fraud scheme has been sentenced, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Law enforcement officials revealed that Mike’s Market on Ocean View Boulevard had become a local gang’s base of operations for narcotics sales. This operation led to criminal convictions and sentences for 22 individuals involved.
Police and prosecutors stated that employees at the store worked directly with gang members to facilitate drug sales. These illegal activities were funded through more than $2 million in food assistance benefit fraud conducted at the store. Specifically, employees allowed customers to unlawfully use their EBT cards to receive cash, which was then spent on drugs.
Gang members were not only suppliers of the narcotics but also controlled which customers were permitted to engage in the fraud. As the market became a hub for drug sales, surrounding areas experienced a sharp rise in violent crime over the two years preceding the criminal investigation, including murders, assaults, and robberies.
During that period, there were four homicides and approximately 1,000 calls to police from the area, including 160 calls related to possible violent crimes.
The joint investigation by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and the FBI, known as Operation Mic Drop, culminated in a 221-count grand jury indictment returned in 2022.
Since then, the District Attorney’s Office reports significant improvements: in the three years following the investigation, there have been no homicides or robberies in the area. Additionally, calls for police service have decreased by 75% annually, and arrests have dropped by 50%.
The case resulted in convictions on charges including drug, gun, and fraud offenses. Sentences handed down ranged from 15 years in prison to probation. Furthermore, a court order mandates $2 million in restitution.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan stated, “This prosecution demonstrates how law enforcement strategically identifies and effectively responds to public safety threats and holds organized gangs accountable for large-scale fraud, and illegal drug and gun trafficking.”
https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2025/11/13/last-of-defendants-sentenced-in-gang-backed-drug-operation-that-took-over-local-market/
