Attorney General Mayes Announces 10 Year Prison Sentence for Fentanyl and Meth Trafficker Part of Drug Ring

PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that Anthony Mead was sentenced to 10 years in prison on August 4, 2026, for his involvement in a drug trafficking ring in Phoenix.

"Illicit drugs have no place in Arizona communities," said Attorney General Kris Mayes. "We will keep working with our federal and local law enforcement partners to get dangerous drug traffickers off the streets and hold them accountable."

In September 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into Mead for his involvement in drug trafficking. On January 10, 2024, law enforcement arrested Mead at his home in Phoenix. A search warrant of the home was executed, and investigators located over 11,400 fentanyl pills, 4.1 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 grams of DMT, four firearms, $36,028 in currency, money counters, and drug packaging materials. Mead had prior convictions dating from the 1990s to present, including convictions for the sale of dangerous drugs. Mead was indicted on April 22, 2024.

Mead pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of a Dangerous Drug (Methamphetamine) for Sale, a class 2 felony, and one count of Misconduct Involving Weapons, a class 4 felony. On August 4, 2026, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced Mead to 10 calendar years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

The case was investigated by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, the DEA, and the Maricopa County Drug Suppression Task Force.