An Oakland federal judge on Thursday sentenced a Concord man to 18 years in prison for his role in a violent extortion scheme, a drug manufacturing operation, bank fraud, and shooting at a federal law enforcement officer.
Joel Dowen, 46, was sentenced alongside co-defendant Micah-Luc Almeida, 47, of San Francisco, who received a three-year prison term for his involvement in the drug operation. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar handed down both sentences, which also include three years of supervised release for each man following their prison terms.
Both men previously pleaded guilty to all counts against them.
According to federal court documents and plea agreements, Dowen and Almeida conspired from 2020 to 2024 to manufacture and distribute large quantities of controlled substances, including MDA and psilocin. The two men operated a drug laboratory out of Richmond, California, where law enforcement officers later seized hundreds of kilograms of chemical waste tied to drug production.
Dowen also admitted to executing an extortion campaign targeting an individual and their family in an attempt to obtain millions of dollars and a proprietary drug-manufacturing recipe.
As part of the extortion plot, Dowen hired three individuals to attack the victim’s 80-year-old father inside his home. The assault left the elderly man with life-threatening injuries. Dowen continued to threaten the victim and their relatives following the attack and subsequently set the victim’s house on fire.
When law enforcement officers moved to arrest Dowen in 2024, he fired a handgun through his front door while officers breached the entry. One bullet struck a Drug Enforcement Administration agent’s protective shield.
Federal prosecutors initially indicted Dowen and Almeida on March 26, 2024. The superseding indictment charged Dowen with mailing threatening communications with intent to extort and assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Both men were charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute MDA, while Almeida faced an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute the substance.
Dowen was separately charged in 2025 with bank fraud, a charge to which he also pleaded guilty.
The final sentences were announced by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris.
READ: Former Border Officer Gets 9 Years For Waving Cartel Drug Trucks Through US Inspection Lanes
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
