Hoover Crip Vysean Embry Gets 15 Years for Drug Trafficking

Vysean Leandre Embry, 33, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is headed to federal prison for 15 years after being sentenced for his role in a sprawling drug trafficking operation run out of the Tonight Inn and Suites on East Admiral. The motel, long suspected as a hub for gang activity, became a de facto narcotics exchange under Embry’s control as a confirmed member of the Hoover Crips.

Danny C. Williams, Sr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, called the conduct ‘especially egregious,’ pointing to how Embry and fellow gang members seized control of the motel to distribute crack cocaine with brazen impunity. The operation wasn’t isolated—it was systematic, sustained, and rooted in gang dominance over a key stretch of Tulsa real estate.

An eight-month joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tulsa Police Department peeled back layers of the criminal network. The probe culminated in a July 29, 2015, raid on the Tonight Inn and Suites, where evidence of continuous drug sales was uncovered. That single operation led to the prosecution of 13 individuals tied to the distribution ring.

Williams emphasized the broader strategy behind the takedown: targeting high-level gang figures using federal tools to secure longer sentences. ‘This wasn’t just about one arrest,’ he said. ‘It was about dismantling a network that used violence, fear, and control to profit from addiction.’

Embry entered a guilty plea under a plea agreement with the United States, admitting to charges of drug conspiracy. On sentencing, Chief Judge Gregory Frizzell of the Northern District of Oklahoma ordered Embry to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. A $100 special assessment was also imposed.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick. Federal authorities say the crackdown signals a continued push against gang infiltration of commercial properties used as fronts for drug distribution across Tulsa and the Northern District.