TACOMA, WA — A Steilacoom couple was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for their leadership roles in a violent, large-scale drug trafficking ring tied to the Aryan Family prison gang.
Jesse James Bailey, 40, received a 17.5-year prison sentence, while his wife, Candace Bailey, 43, was sentenced to 5 years. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo described the scale of drug distribution as “unimaginable,” noting Jesse Bailey’s background as the child of drug-addicted parents and his role in perpetuating that cycle.
According to federal prosecutors, the Baileys operated at the top of a multi-state drug conspiracy involving large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Jesse Bailey also possessed firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, including a fully automatic M4 machine gun. Candace Bailey, a former prison guard who met her husband while he was incarcerated, was a full partner in the operation and knowingly supplied weapons to a convicted felon…