MARION, OH—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Steven M. Dettelbach, Federal Bureau of Investigation Cleveland Division Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony, Marion Police Chief Bill Collins, Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey, and Marion County Prosecutor Brent Yager announced today that more than three dozen people are now facing charges as a result of a large-scale investigation focusing on the trafficking and possession of drugs in Marion, Ohio.
Thirty-nine individuals were indicted on a total of 125 felony and misdemeanor charges last week. The indictments, which were unsealed today, primarily surround the sale and/or possession of heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs such as Percocet, Vicodin, and Xanax. The charges follow the February indictments of 19 others who are facing federal charges in connection with the investigation.
Investigators served arrest warrants on the suspects this morning as part of Operation Buyers’ Remorse. Prosecutors with Attorney General DeWine’s Office will prosecute the cases.
“Today’s indictments and arrests focus on the mid-level traffickers and the addicts who are fueling the demand for drugs being brought into Marion County,” said Attorney General DeWine. “While we know we cannot arrest our way out of the drug abuse problem, those who break the law must face the consequences. It is our hope that those arrested today will use this as a wake-up call to turn their lives around.”
“Today is just another example of agencies working together for the common good of our community, and as I have stated month after month, we are not done yet,” said Chief Collins. “This will continue to be the way we fight our drug problem in Marion, Ohio. We know we are just a piece of the puzzle in solving the heroin epidemic that has plagued our community, but we have shown time and again that we are committed 100 percent to making our piece of the puzzle happen day in and day out.”
“I want to thank everyone involved in this investigation for their hard work in yet another wave of arrests in our continuing push to drive drugs out of our community,” said Prosecutor Yager. “Let this be a message to the individuals still slinging their poison in our community that we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you.”
“The teamwork by local, state, and federal authorities that went into this investigation was outstanding,” said Sheriff Bailey. “Those who want to come to our community and deal drugs need to ask themselves if they really want to risk being arrested, because this case is proof that we are watching, and we will come after you.”
“These indictments are an important step in our efforts to shut down the pipeline of heroin, pills and cocaine into Marion,” said U.S. Attorney Dettelbach. “This case is another example of the continued partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement when it comes to keeping our communities safe.”
“This interstate drug trafficking organization brought danger and violence to the community through multiple shootings, overdoses, and continued addiction for citizens in Marion,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony. “The FBI, along with the numerous agencies that brought this group to justice, will continue collaborative efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug traffickers.”
Investigators began investigating the suspects after an influx of drugs started coming into the community from Detroit and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The investigation involved electronic surveillance, which assisted in both the federal and state indictments.
In addition to the FBI, Marion Police Department, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office, authorities with the MARMET Drug Task Force, METRICH Drug Task Force, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Highway Patrol, and United States Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation.
A complete list of those indicted by the Marion County Grand Jury, as well as five additional individuals charged in Marion Municipal Court, can be found on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.
Showing posts with label Drugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drugs. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
Family wants answers in man's mysterious death in Texas
On a cold, rainy night in late November, Douglas Wright sat amid brambles and thick East Texas underbrush, watching over the body of his 28-year-old son, Alfred, who had disappeared almost three weeks earlier.
"His spirits got to me: 'Daddy, I knew you would find me,'" Wright says, recalling the relief that had washed over him.
Sabine County sheriff's deputies had searched for Alfred Wright but didn't find him, and volunteer searchers later found his body, his family says.
A medical examiner says the death was accidental, but the family rejects that notion, citing what a different pathologist says appears to be "severe trauma" to his body. The Texas Rangers and FBI are investigating.
Alfred Wright was last seen around dusk on November 7. The physical therapist was on his way to treat a patient. He had been having trouble with his pickup and pulled into CL&M Grocer, one of the few stores along an isolated stretch of Route 87.
He called his wife, Lauren, and gave her directions to the store. Because their two young sons were home sick, she called his parents, who immediately left on the hour long drive. What happened next changed everything.
"The last time I called him, I just heard heavy breathing. He was in distress of some sort. He was not responding to anything I was saying," Lauren Wright says.
Around 6 p.m., Alfred Wright disappeared from where he was last seen alive. When his parents arrived about 20 minutes later, his truck was in the parking lot, but he was nowhere to be seen. His father asked the store clerk what happened. He says she told him that she was out having a smoke when Wright "all of a sudden put his cell phone in his sock and took off like the truck was going to blow up."
The clerk did not want to be interviewed on camera but did tell CNN that Wright "left on his own free will," a phrase she repeated several times.
The next day, his personal effects, including his watch and ID, turned up on a nearby ranch. Deputies searched the property with cadaver dogs. His family says it was told by the deputies that Wright's scent had "disappeared" at a nearby creek.
Four days after Wright vanished, Sabine County Sheriff Thomas Maddox called off the search, telling the family, "Your son's just a missing person. My guys are tired. We've exhausted our resources and funds. We're done," family lawyer Ryan MacLeod says.
Family members say the sheriff told them that "there was no foul play" and that Wright's disappearance was probably "drug-related," most likely related to methamphetamine.
The sheriff's daughter and Wright apparently knew each other through their health care jobs, which made the sheriff's actions even more surprising to the Wrights, who were left to search for their son on their own.
He had been missing for 19 days when, during Thanksgiving week, dozens of volunteers did their own search in the cold and rain. Wright's body was found nearly three weeks after his truck broke down, in an area of the ranch supposedly already searched by deputies.
'He was neatly laid'
Walking to the spot, Douglas Wright describes the position in which his son lay: "His head was in this area, and his feet was back here. He was just, if I might say, he was neatly laid. He was neatly laid."
Alfred Wright was wearing only boxer shorts, tennis shoes and a single sock, inside of which was his cell phone, just as the clerk had described. The second sock was under the body. "I was told by the mortician at the autopsy that when they pulled off his left sock, his keys was under his left foot in his shoe," his father says.
"What was weird about his sock," says his father, is that it "was clean, and his sock was pulled up with his phone stuck in it as if he was in a Sunday school class. Neat. His tennis shoes was very clean."
And not just the position of the body seemed strange. "This is the first thing I noticed -- how smooth his forearms and his back was. No scratches at all," his father says. After just one day, he and the other volunteers were caked in mud and their clothing torn from brambles, he says.
Alfred Wright was missing an ear, two front teeth, and his throat appeared to be cut. The medical examiner attributed the trauma to "animal and insect activity." What's more, in an echo of the sheriff's prediction, the coroner's toxicology report described Wright's body as filled with drugs -- cocaine, meth and amphetamines. His death was ruled "accidental" due to a "combined drug intoxication."
His family doesn't believe it. Family members say they never saw him do drugs, nor had his personality changed to suggest he was using drugs. They say he was the fun-loving, hardworking father he had always been. They want to know if the drugs entered his body while he was missing.
Suspicious of the investigation, the family hired their own pathologist, who ultimately did a separate autopsy and, contrary to the medical examiner, found what appears to be "severe trauma to the neck and head."
A month after Wright's body was found, Maddox handed the investigation over to the Texas Rangers. They have called the death "questionable" and say the autopsy is just one part of an active investigation. The week CNN was in Sabine County, the Texas Rangers announced they had called in the FBI to assist.
After Alfred Wright's death, wife Lauren went through bank records. She found three charges her husband made at local hotels when she and the children were away the month before he died. Texas Rangers are pulling video from one of the hotels to review it for possible evidence.
"His spirits got to me: 'Daddy, I knew you would find me,'" Wright says, recalling the relief that had washed over him.
Sabine County sheriff's deputies had searched for Alfred Wright but didn't find him, and volunteer searchers later found his body, his family says.
A medical examiner says the death was accidental, but the family rejects that notion, citing what a different pathologist says appears to be "severe trauma" to his body. The Texas Rangers and FBI are investigating.
Alfred Wright was last seen around dusk on November 7. The physical therapist was on his way to treat a patient. He had been having trouble with his pickup and pulled into CL&M Grocer, one of the few stores along an isolated stretch of Route 87.
He called his wife, Lauren, and gave her directions to the store. Because their two young sons were home sick, she called his parents, who immediately left on the hour long drive. What happened next changed everything.
"The last time I called him, I just heard heavy breathing. He was in distress of some sort. He was not responding to anything I was saying," Lauren Wright says.
Around 6 p.m., Alfred Wright disappeared from where he was last seen alive. When his parents arrived about 20 minutes later, his truck was in the parking lot, but he was nowhere to be seen. His father asked the store clerk what happened. He says she told him that she was out having a smoke when Wright "all of a sudden put his cell phone in his sock and took off like the truck was going to blow up."
The clerk did not want to be interviewed on camera but did tell CNN that Wright "left on his own free will," a phrase she repeated several times.
The next day, his personal effects, including his watch and ID, turned up on a nearby ranch. Deputies searched the property with cadaver dogs. His family says it was told by the deputies that Wright's scent had "disappeared" at a nearby creek.
Four days after Wright vanished, Sabine County Sheriff Thomas Maddox called off the search, telling the family, "Your son's just a missing person. My guys are tired. We've exhausted our resources and funds. We're done," family lawyer Ryan MacLeod says.
Family members say the sheriff told them that "there was no foul play" and that Wright's disappearance was probably "drug-related," most likely related to methamphetamine.
The sheriff's daughter and Wright apparently knew each other through their health care jobs, which made the sheriff's actions even more surprising to the Wrights, who were left to search for their son on their own.
He had been missing for 19 days when, during Thanksgiving week, dozens of volunteers did their own search in the cold and rain. Wright's body was found nearly three weeks after his truck broke down, in an area of the ranch supposedly already searched by deputies.
'He was neatly laid'
Walking to the spot, Douglas Wright describes the position in which his son lay: "His head was in this area, and his feet was back here. He was just, if I might say, he was neatly laid. He was neatly laid."
Alfred Wright was wearing only boxer shorts, tennis shoes and a single sock, inside of which was his cell phone, just as the clerk had described. The second sock was under the body. "I was told by the mortician at the autopsy that when they pulled off his left sock, his keys was under his left foot in his shoe," his father says.
"What was weird about his sock," says his father, is that it "was clean, and his sock was pulled up with his phone stuck in it as if he was in a Sunday school class. Neat. His tennis shoes was very clean."
And not just the position of the body seemed strange. "This is the first thing I noticed -- how smooth his forearms and his back was. No scratches at all," his father says. After just one day, he and the other volunteers were caked in mud and their clothing torn from brambles, he says.
Alfred Wright was missing an ear, two front teeth, and his throat appeared to be cut. The medical examiner attributed the trauma to "animal and insect activity." What's more, in an echo of the sheriff's prediction, the coroner's toxicology report described Wright's body as filled with drugs -- cocaine, meth and amphetamines. His death was ruled "accidental" due to a "combined drug intoxication."
His family doesn't believe it. Family members say they never saw him do drugs, nor had his personality changed to suggest he was using drugs. They say he was the fun-loving, hardworking father he had always been. They want to know if the drugs entered his body while he was missing.
Suspicious of the investigation, the family hired their own pathologist, who ultimately did a separate autopsy and, contrary to the medical examiner, found what appears to be "severe trauma to the neck and head."
A month after Wright's body was found, Maddox handed the investigation over to the Texas Rangers. They have called the death "questionable" and say the autopsy is just one part of an active investigation. The week CNN was in Sabine County, the Texas Rangers announced they had called in the FBI to assist.
After Alfred Wright's death, wife Lauren went through bank records. She found three charges her husband made at local hotels when she and the children were away the month before he died. Texas Rangers are pulling video from one of the hotels to review it for possible evidence.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Shoppers try to take down a purse snatcher
The first surveillance image police released of Amanda Downing was not clear. They were trying to identify the grainy figure after a Williston shopper accused the woman of swiping her purse from a grocery cart. Tips from the public helped police identify the 37-year-old Winooski woman. But they didn't know where she was until she struck again. Downing was arrested last weekend after targeting the wrong woman at the Hannaford in Burlington.
"It was amazing to me just how many of the bystanders or the good Samaritans intervened on behalf of this older woman who had her purse taken from her and she actually yelled, 'Stop, thief!'" Burlington Police Cpl. Tom Chenette said.
Several shoppers rushed to her rescue. The surveillance video shows one pushing Downing against the produce while another wrestles away the stolen purse.
"We don't typically recommend that people physically engage these types of suspects," Chenette said. "Typically they're desperate as in this case. It was motivated by drugs."
Chenette says Downing is an IV drug user who commonly carries needles on her. She has a lengthy criminal record, mostly drug and driving offenses related to her addiction.
Police say it was a quick-thinking pharmacist, however, who helped put her behind bars.
"What the pharmacist did is what we certainly would recommend where he followed her outside. He obtained the license plate of the car which was eventually able to crack the investigation open," Chenette said.
Several police agencies had been looking for Downing. Investigators say she's behind seven similar purse snatchings at supermarkets in Chittenden and Washington counties last month.
Chenette says there are a few simple steps shoppers can take to keep their purses safe.
"Carry it on you, preferably slung over your shoulder, would be best," Chenette said. "Purses that are able to zip or have some kind of a latch to keep them closed as opposed to a bag that can be easily reached into from behind and just be aware of your surroundings."
Downing has been charged with multiple purse snatchings. She's being held for lack of $10,000 bail.
"It was amazing to me just how many of the bystanders or the good Samaritans intervened on behalf of this older woman who had her purse taken from her and she actually yelled, 'Stop, thief!'" Burlington Police Cpl. Tom Chenette said.
Several shoppers rushed to her rescue. The surveillance video shows one pushing Downing against the produce while another wrestles away the stolen purse.
"We don't typically recommend that people physically engage these types of suspects," Chenette said. "Typically they're desperate as in this case. It was motivated by drugs."
Chenette says Downing is an IV drug user who commonly carries needles on her. She has a lengthy criminal record, mostly drug and driving offenses related to her addiction.
Police say it was a quick-thinking pharmacist, however, who helped put her behind bars.
"What the pharmacist did is what we certainly would recommend where he followed her outside. He obtained the license plate of the car which was eventually able to crack the investigation open," Chenette said.
Several police agencies had been looking for Downing. Investigators say she's behind seven similar purse snatchings at supermarkets in Chittenden and Washington counties last month.
Chenette says there are a few simple steps shoppers can take to keep their purses safe.
"Carry it on you, preferably slung over your shoulder, would be best," Chenette said. "Purses that are able to zip or have some kind of a latch to keep them closed as opposed to a bag that can be easily reached into from behind and just be aware of your surroundings."
Downing has been charged with multiple purse snatchings. She's being held for lack of $10,000 bail.
Hollywood couple stopped by police, say they were racially profiled
Hollywood actors Cherie Johnson and Dennis White say they were improperly stopped by police, put in handcuffs and harshly questioned during a recent weekend getaway in South Carolina. They claim the incident took place because of their race.
"It hurts me more that telling the story, other people are not surprised," Johnson said in an interview on HLN's" Showbiz Tonight" on Monday. "They're not shocked about what we went through. So many people have gone through it, too. I don't understand how come they haven't fought it and how come they just let it go."
Johnson, best known for her roles in TV shows "Punky Brewster" and "Family Matters," and White, from the movie "Notorious," are speaking out about their treatment by a Marion County sheriff's deputy on September 22.
"I've been stopped by the police before, but I've never been fearful for my life," Johnson said on Sunday. "They need some kind of sensitivity training."
The Marion County sheriff issued a statement on Monday promising to investigate the allegations of racial profiling.
The couple, who were in the area after conducting an acting workshop in North Carolina, shared White's account with freelance writer Krystol Diggs, who posted it to CNN iReport. CNN could not independently verify their account but spoke directly to Johnson and Diggs about the incident.
Johnson and White say they were on their way to Myrtle Beach for a quick romantic getaway when they pulled off the rural highway and parked by a cotton field. Johnson said she had never seen cotton before and told White she wanted to take a picture.
As the couple walked back to the car, they said, they noticed a police car with its lights on parked behind theirs. White and Johnson, who are both African-American, say the white officer harshly questioned them about drugs -- he found none -- and the cash he found in their bags.
Johnson was the national cheer representative for the Just Say No to Drugs campaign in the '80s.
According to White's account, Officer Shad Barfield told Johnson there was a warrant for her arrest, which she disputed, and the officer later recanted. He handcuffed White and then Johnson but did not arrest them.
"After he told me that I did not have a warrant for my arrest, and he started asking me about drugs for the third time, I said, 'Are you doing this because we're black?'" Johnson told HLN. "And that was when everything took a turn for the worst. He patted the car, he walked back to his car, he put on gloves. The next thing I knew, he was handcuffing Dennis."
"He told me ... I was being detained for his safety because he didn't know me," Johnson said.
"At this time I became distraught," White wrote in his account of the incident. "I have been racially profiled several times in my lifetime but it touched my core when my woman was included."
Marion County Sheriff Mark Richardson issued a statement on Monday in regard to the actors' claims: "Discrimination in any form, including racial profiling, is strictly prohibited by this department and as Sheriff of Marion County SC, I can assure you I will take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the allegations of racial profiling made by Mr. White and Ms. Johnson. This matter will be dealt with by an internal investigation within the department and I will also ask the State Law Enforcement Division to review the allegation made against Deputy Barfield."
It was Johnson's first experience being handcuffed. Several of her family members work in law enforcement, Johnson said, adding that she's "never been afraid of cops or had bad opinions of them."
This time was different.
After thoroughly searching the car, the officer removed the handcuffs and let the couple go.
"No apology, no nothing," White wrote.
White says he won't stop talking about the incident until "that racist cop" is reprimanded and punished.
"We've been conditioned to just think that it's OK -- that we have to just sweep it under the rug," White told HLN. "But we're not doing that no more. We're fighting."
By Monday morning, the story had received nearly 700,000 views -- making it the fourth most-viewed iReport of all time -- and hundreds of comments about racial profiling and law enforcement in South Carolina and elsewhere. Many readers said they had experienced similar situations.
Actress Kinnik Sky was among those who shared the story on her Facebook page. Sky, who was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, said she knew White and Johnson's account "to be absolutely true."
"I was like, 'Wow, boy can I relate,' because I am fearful of the cops as a whole, especially in South Carolina. My experiences have always been horrible."
The former "American Idol" finalist said whenever she returns from Los Angeles to her hometown she gets stopped by police "80% of the time" and questioned about drugs. On a recent trip she was "stopped, pulled over and questioned about every drug known to man," she said.
What's your reaction to White and Johnson's story? Sound off on iReport
Her account is strikingly similar to what Johnson and White said they experienced. Johnson said she contacted Marion County for an incident report but was told that one was never filed. In the meantime, she's voicing her views on Twitter and Facebook so others can know what she and White went through.
"I've always been a fan of speaking up and sharing your story," Johnson said. "We're way more powerful in numbers than we are alone."
"It hurts me more that telling the story, other people are not surprised," Johnson said in an interview on HLN's" Showbiz Tonight" on Monday. "They're not shocked about what we went through. So many people have gone through it, too. I don't understand how come they haven't fought it and how come they just let it go."
Johnson, best known for her roles in TV shows "Punky Brewster" and "Family Matters," and White, from the movie "Notorious," are speaking out about their treatment by a Marion County sheriff's deputy on September 22.
"I've been stopped by the police before, but I've never been fearful for my life," Johnson said on Sunday. "They need some kind of sensitivity training."
The Marion County sheriff issued a statement on Monday promising to investigate the allegations of racial profiling.
The couple, who were in the area after conducting an acting workshop in North Carolina, shared White's account with freelance writer Krystol Diggs, who posted it to CNN iReport. CNN could not independently verify their account but spoke directly to Johnson and Diggs about the incident.
Johnson and White say they were on their way to Myrtle Beach for a quick romantic getaway when they pulled off the rural highway and parked by a cotton field. Johnson said she had never seen cotton before and told White she wanted to take a picture.
As the couple walked back to the car, they said, they noticed a police car with its lights on parked behind theirs. White and Johnson, who are both African-American, say the white officer harshly questioned them about drugs -- he found none -- and the cash he found in their bags.
Johnson was the national cheer representative for the Just Say No to Drugs campaign in the '80s.
According to White's account, Officer Shad Barfield told Johnson there was a warrant for her arrest, which she disputed, and the officer later recanted. He handcuffed White and then Johnson but did not arrest them.
"After he told me that I did not have a warrant for my arrest, and he started asking me about drugs for the third time, I said, 'Are you doing this because we're black?'" Johnson told HLN. "And that was when everything took a turn for the worst. He patted the car, he walked back to his car, he put on gloves. The next thing I knew, he was handcuffing Dennis."
"He told me ... I was being detained for his safety because he didn't know me," Johnson said.
"At this time I became distraught," White wrote in his account of the incident. "I have been racially profiled several times in my lifetime but it touched my core when my woman was included."
Marion County Sheriff Mark Richardson issued a statement on Monday in regard to the actors' claims: "Discrimination in any form, including racial profiling, is strictly prohibited by this department and as Sheriff of Marion County SC, I can assure you I will take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the allegations of racial profiling made by Mr. White and Ms. Johnson. This matter will be dealt with by an internal investigation within the department and I will also ask the State Law Enforcement Division to review the allegation made against Deputy Barfield."
It was Johnson's first experience being handcuffed. Several of her family members work in law enforcement, Johnson said, adding that she's "never been afraid of cops or had bad opinions of them."
This time was different.
After thoroughly searching the car, the officer removed the handcuffs and let the couple go.
"No apology, no nothing," White wrote.
White says he won't stop talking about the incident until "that racist cop" is reprimanded and punished.
"We've been conditioned to just think that it's OK -- that we have to just sweep it under the rug," White told HLN. "But we're not doing that no more. We're fighting."
By Monday morning, the story had received nearly 700,000 views -- making it the fourth most-viewed iReport of all time -- and hundreds of comments about racial profiling and law enforcement in South Carolina and elsewhere. Many readers said they had experienced similar situations.
Actress Kinnik Sky was among those who shared the story on her Facebook page. Sky, who was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, said she knew White and Johnson's account "to be absolutely true."
"I was like, 'Wow, boy can I relate,' because I am fearful of the cops as a whole, especially in South Carolina. My experiences have always been horrible."
The former "American Idol" finalist said whenever she returns from Los Angeles to her hometown she gets stopped by police "80% of the time" and questioned about drugs. On a recent trip she was "stopped, pulled over and questioned about every drug known to man," she said.
What's your reaction to White and Johnson's story? Sound off on iReport
Her account is strikingly similar to what Johnson and White said they experienced. Johnson said she contacted Marion County for an incident report but was told that one was never filed. In the meantime, she's voicing her views on Twitter and Facebook so others can know what she and White went through.
"I've always been a fan of speaking up and sharing your story," Johnson said. "We're way more powerful in numbers than we are alone."
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Bail Revoked for Mass. Lab Chemist in Drug Case
A former chemist charged with stealing drugs from the state crime lab in western Massachusetts where she worked is spending Christmas in jail after a judge revoked her bail.
Hampshire Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup on Monday granted the prosecution's request to revoke Sonja Farak's bail after cocaine was found in her system during a random drug test.
Farak, after initially denying taking any drugs, ackowledged snorting "a few lines" of cocaine at a party last week, Assistant District Attorney Beth Lux told the judge. Attending the party may have also violated the curfew provision in the conditions of Farak's release, according to Probation Department officials.
Defense attorney Elaine Pourinski asked Rup to stiffen Farak's probation conditions rather than revoking bail.
Farak had gone to the party last week after an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and did not know drugs would be present, the attorney said. It was her first violation after nearly a year of pre-trial release, she pointed out.
"This is a clear indication that she still has lots of work to do," Pourinski said, adding her client is under "extreme pressure."
Farak, 35, of Northampton, had been free on $5,000 bail.
She pleaded not guilty in January to tampering with evidence and stealing and possessing drugs. She removed drug samples from the Amherst lab, then replaced them with other substances while keeping the narcotics for her personal use, the prosecutor said.
More than 200 drug cases were dismissed from district and superior courts because Farak could not testify about the results of her drug testing, prsoecutors say.
Farak's case is not connected to that of Annie Dookhan, who worked at a state drug lab in Boston. Dookhan was sentenced to three to five years in prison after pleading guilty last month to 27 counts.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Englishtown Pharmacy Burglar Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison in Conspiracy to Sell Stolen Oxycodone
TRENTON, NJ—A Brooklyn, New York man was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for his involvement in a plot to burglarize a pharmacy in Englishtown, New Jersey, and sell the stolen narcotics for cash, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
James Zarbailov, 23, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Union Hill-Supremo Pharmacy in Englishtown was burglarized shortly after 4:00 a.m. on June 17, 2012. Zarbailov and his fellow conspirators filled 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes with merchandise from the pharmacy, including approximately 1,988 dosage units of methylphenidate, 500 dosage units of hydromorphone, 300 dosage units of Opana (a tradename for oxymorphone) and 3,800 dosage units of oxycodone—all Schedule II controlled substances.
The stock lost by the pharmacy was valued at approximately $350,000.
Zarbailov admitted that he stole the drugs and that he did so knowing they would be sold for profit.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Zarbailov to serve three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $334,722.12 in restitution.
Two of Zarbailov’s conspirators, David Mordukhaev, 22, and Dzheykhun Avshalumov, 24, both of Brooklyn, have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Mordukhaev’s sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2013, and Avshalumov’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, and law enforcement officers from the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Bruce E. Hall, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Clabby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
James Zarbailov, 23, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Union Hill-Supremo Pharmacy in Englishtown was burglarized shortly after 4:00 a.m. on June 17, 2012. Zarbailov and his fellow conspirators filled 17 garbage bags and two cardboard boxes with merchandise from the pharmacy, including approximately 1,988 dosage units of methylphenidate, 500 dosage units of hydromorphone, 300 dosage units of Opana (a tradename for oxymorphone) and 3,800 dosage units of oxycodone—all Schedule II controlled substances.
The stock lost by the pharmacy was valued at approximately $350,000.
Zarbailov admitted that he stole the drugs and that he did so knowing they would be sold for profit.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Zarbailov to serve three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $334,722.12 in restitution.
Two of Zarbailov’s conspirators, David Mordukhaev, 22, and Dzheykhun Avshalumov, 24, both of Brooklyn, have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Mordukhaev’s sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2013, and Avshalumov’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2013.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, and law enforcement officers from the Marlboro Township Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Bruce E. Hall, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Clabby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Lancaster Drug Leader Sentenced to 270 Months in Prison
ALLENTOWN—Keith Martin Thompson, 33, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 270 months in prison in a drug conspiracy case. Thompson, a/k/a “Keefer,” was the leader of a large-scale cocaine and crack cocaine distribution organization in Lancaster from between at least 2005 and his arrest in January of 2011 on local charges. In addition to the prison term, Thompson must pay a fine of $2,400, a special assessment of $1,400, and complete 10 years of supervised release.
Thompson was federally indicted on February 15, 2011 along with 11 co-defendants, also from Lancaster. The drug organization run by Thompson would routinely purchase wholesale quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”) from suppliers in Philadelphia, New York, and elsewhere. They distributed the drugs to customers on the streets of Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the areas surrounding those cities. Thompson’s co-defendants sold the drugs for Thompson and also sold some of the drugs to their own customers. At least three of the drug dealers routinely carried guns to protect their drugs and the money they made from selling the drugs.
Part of the drug organization’s business model included renting dozens of vehicles for members of the organization to use for travel to New York and Philadelphia to pick up multi-kilogram quantities of drugs. Some of the drugs were stored at a residence in the 2000 block of Swarr Run Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Cocaine deals were also conducted in the parking lots of retail businesses, including a baby goods store, an apartment complex, and a bar in Lancaster.
Thompson pleaded guilty on April 6, 2013, to 12 counts including conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine, admitting that 20 kilograms of crack cocaine and 50 kilograms of cocaine were distributed in furtherance of the criminal activity jointly undertaken by him and his associates. Thompson also pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of cocaine, five counts of distribution of cocaine base (“crack”), one count of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Reading); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Harrisburg); the Lancaster County Drug Task Force; the City of Lancaster Police Department; and the Manheim Township Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Miller.
Thompson was federally indicted on February 15, 2011 along with 11 co-defendants, also from Lancaster. The drug organization run by Thompson would routinely purchase wholesale quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”) from suppliers in Philadelphia, New York, and elsewhere. They distributed the drugs to customers on the streets of Lancaster and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the areas surrounding those cities. Thompson’s co-defendants sold the drugs for Thompson and also sold some of the drugs to their own customers. At least three of the drug dealers routinely carried guns to protect their drugs and the money they made from selling the drugs.
Part of the drug organization’s business model included renting dozens of vehicles for members of the organization to use for travel to New York and Philadelphia to pick up multi-kilogram quantities of drugs. Some of the drugs were stored at a residence in the 2000 block of Swarr Run Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Cocaine deals were also conducted in the parking lots of retail businesses, including a baby goods store, an apartment complex, and a bar in Lancaster.
Thompson pleaded guilty on April 6, 2013, to 12 counts including conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine, admitting that 20 kilograms of crack cocaine and 50 kilograms of cocaine were distributed in furtherance of the criminal activity jointly undertaken by him and his associates. Thompson also pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of cocaine, five counts of distribution of cocaine base (“crack”), one count of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Reading); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Harrisburg); the Lancaster County Drug Task Force; the City of Lancaster Police Department; and the Manheim Township Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Miller.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Feds Seize Three Long-Time Problem Motels in Tukwila as Part of Year-Long Initiative
Three motels on Tukwila International Boulevard in Tukwila, Washington were seized and boarded-up by federal agents today following a year-long investigation of criminal activity in and around the motels, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. More than 400 law enforcement officers and agents participated in the serving of search and seizure warrants today on the Great Bear Motor Inn, Boulevard Motel, and Travelers Choice Motel. In addition to the civil seizure of the motels, four people were arrested in connection with ongoing criminal activity at the motels, including three owner-operators. In 2011 and 2012, police responded to the motels for reports of rape, robbery, assault, drug transactions, gun crimes, prostitution, and possession of stolen property. During that time, the three motels accounted for approximately 17 percent of the Tukwila Police Department’s calls for service.
“Today, we seek to hold the hotel owners accountable for their crimes, strip them of their criminal dens, and make this area of the community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I commend the Tukwila Police Department and ATF for their work—which allows us to not just prosecute the defendants but to solve a problem. Reducing crime on International Boulevard is a top priority for the residents of Tukwila and their representatives in government, and this operation is directly responsive to the community’s most pressing needs.”
According to records filed to seize the motels, the Tukwila Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) jointly-led investigation used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity. According to the affidavit filed in the case, owners and managers would collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. The owners and/or managers would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances, the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way. According to witnesses, the owner or manager would collect additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
“These businesses have been a haven for violence and gang activity for several years. Today’s operation should have a lasting positive impact on crime in Tukwila,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jim Modzelewski. “ATF remains committed to partnering with other agencies to fulfill our mission of targeting violent crime.”
“The mayor and Tukwila City Council have made public safety a priority for the citizens of Tukwila, and we are thankful for their support that has helped the police department create a safer place to live and conduct business,” said Tukwila Chief of Police Mike Villa. “Additionally, I would like to thank all of our officers, staff, and partnering agencies that have made this operation a success. We are excited that jointly we have been able to make such a significant impact on crime in Tukwila.”
Since at least 2006, the three motels have consistently been among the top five motels in Tukwila with the highest calls for police service per room, with significantly higher ratios than other hotels in Tukwila. The Great Bear Motor Inn was identified and cited in August 2012 as a nuisance property by the city of Tukwila. The Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel had been sent warning letters in 2011 about being cited as nuisance properties.
Displaced residents from the seized motels will be offered transportation to a nearby church. At the church, they will be fed and offered medical and mental health services and offered assistance with housing and other needs from several city of Tukwila departments and other local, state, and federal agencies. The city will be providing qualified low income residents with vouchers for groceries and transportation.
“The city of Tukwila expresses our deepest appreciation to the many federal, state, and local agencies who collaborated so well with our police department on this public safety action. This shows how we are all committed to improving public safety and creating great neighborhoods,” said Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton.
The investigation, search and seizure operation today was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation and today’s operation, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office from August 27 to 30 is Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or Thomas.Bates@usdoj.gov.
Press contact for the city of Tukwila is Commander Eric Drever of the Tukwila Police Department at (206) 858-3883 or e.drever@tukwilawa.gov.
“Today, we seek to hold the hotel owners accountable for their crimes, strip them of their criminal dens, and make this area of the community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “I commend the Tukwila Police Department and ATF for their work—which allows us to not just prosecute the defendants but to solve a problem. Reducing crime on International Boulevard is a top priority for the residents of Tukwila and their representatives in government, and this operation is directly responsive to the community’s most pressing needs.”
According to records filed to seize the motels, the Tukwila Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) jointly-led investigation used undercover officers and people working with law enforcement to document criminal activity at the motels and the role the owners and managers played in that activity. According to the affidavit filed in the case, owners and managers would collect a $10 entry fee for those coming on the property seeking drugs or sexual services. The owners and/or managers would take the money and direct the customer to rooms to purchase drugs or sex. In some instances, the person taking the “fee” would call the motel room to inform the dealer or sex worker that a customer was on the way. According to witnesses, the owner or manager would collect additional rental fees from the dealer or sex worker based on how many customers were sent to the room over the course of the day.
“These businesses have been a haven for violence and gang activity for several years. Today’s operation should have a lasting positive impact on crime in Tukwila,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jim Modzelewski. “ATF remains committed to partnering with other agencies to fulfill our mission of targeting violent crime.”
“The mayor and Tukwila City Council have made public safety a priority for the citizens of Tukwila, and we are thankful for their support that has helped the police department create a safer place to live and conduct business,” said Tukwila Chief of Police Mike Villa. “Additionally, I would like to thank all of our officers, staff, and partnering agencies that have made this operation a success. We are excited that jointly we have been able to make such a significant impact on crime in Tukwila.”
Since at least 2006, the three motels have consistently been among the top five motels in Tukwila with the highest calls for police service per room, with significantly higher ratios than other hotels in Tukwila. The Great Bear Motor Inn was identified and cited in August 2012 as a nuisance property by the city of Tukwila. The Boulevard Motel and Travelers Choice Motel had been sent warning letters in 2011 about being cited as nuisance properties.
Displaced residents from the seized motels will be offered transportation to a nearby church. At the church, they will be fed and offered medical and mental health services and offered assistance with housing and other needs from several city of Tukwila departments and other local, state, and federal agencies. The city will be providing qualified low income residents with vouchers for groceries and transportation.
“The city of Tukwila expresses our deepest appreciation to the many federal, state, and local agencies who collaborated so well with our police department on this public safety action. This shows how we are all committed to improving public safety and creating great neighborhoods,” said Tukwila Mayor Jim Haggerton.
The investigation, search and seizure operation today was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Tukwila Police Department. Many additional agencies assisted the investigation and today’s operation, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Department of Homeland Security; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Washington State Patrol; Seattle, Auburn, Kent, Renton, Federal Way, and Port of Seattle Police Departments; Valley SWAT Team; King County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; and Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold, Jill Otake and Richard Cohen.
Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office from August 27 to 30 is Executive Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Bates at (206) 553-7970 or Thomas.Bates@usdoj.gov.
Press contact for the city of Tukwila is Commander Eric Drever of the Tukwila Police Department at (206) 858-3883 or e.drever@tukwilawa.gov.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Nampa Man Arrested on Federal Drug Charge
BOISE—Timothy Alan Butterbaugh, 45, of Nampa, Idaho, was arrested yesterday on a federal complaint charging him with distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
The complaint, filed in United States District Court on Wednesday, charges Butterbaugh with distributing methamphetamine on July 24, 2013. Butterbaugh was arrested last night at his residence in Nampa. Federal agents and local officers executed a search warrant at his residence along with two other locations in Nampa. The warrants were served by the FBI, Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Nampa City Police Department, and Meridian City Police Department.
If convicted, Butterbaugh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release.
An initial appearance is set for August 30, 2013, at the federal courthouse in Boise. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled at that time.
The case is being investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is composed of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Idaho Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The complaint, filed in United States District Court on Wednesday, charges Butterbaugh with distributing methamphetamine on July 24, 2013. Butterbaugh was arrested last night at his residence in Nampa. Federal agents and local officers executed a search warrant at his residence along with two other locations in Nampa. The warrants were served by the FBI, Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Nampa City Police Department, and Meridian City Police Department.
If convicted, Butterbaugh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release.
An initial appearance is set for August 30, 2013, at the federal courthouse in Boise. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled at that time.
The case is being investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is composed of federal, state, and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Idaho Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Man Indicted on Drug Charges
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that Wesley White, also known as “Westside,” age 38, of Valdosta, Georgia, was indicted on August 14, 2013, by the federal grand jury for the offenses of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack cocaine), possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
If convicted, Mr. White faces 10 years to life in prison on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crack with a possible fine of $8,000,000; up to 30 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for the offense of possession with Intent to distribute cocaine; and up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the offense of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
An indictment is only an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Southwest Georgia Gang Task Force, made up of officers and agents of the FBI, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, Moultrie Police Department, and Thomasville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.
If convicted, Mr. White faces 10 years to life in prison on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crack with a possible fine of $8,000,000; up to 30 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for the offense of possession with Intent to distribute cocaine; and up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the offense of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
An indictment is only an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Southwest Georgia Gang Task Force, made up of officers and agents of the FBI, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Police Department, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office, Moultrie Police Department, and Thomasville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers.
Inquiries regarding the case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2602.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Four Co-Conspirators Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering Charges
POCATELLO—Four more members of an Idaho Falls-area drug
trafficking organization pleaded guilty in United States District Court
in Pocatello, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
Isidoro David Herrera, 31, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is punishable by a minimum term of 10 years, up to life in prison; a maximum fine of $10 million; and at least five years of supervised release.
Alberto Abarca, 22, of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nicolas Levi Olsen, 29, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.
Ana Rosa Valdez-Ceja, 26, of Shelley, Idaho, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to money laundering, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreements, from June 2005 through January 2012, a group of individuals centered around co-defendant Samuel Nevarez-Ayon entered into a conspiracy to possess and distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Idaho Falls area. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Nevarez-Ayon admitted that he distributed methamphetamine to other individuals on at least three occasions during this same time period. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Nevarez-Ayon directed activities of various co-defendants. In addition to distributing methamphetamine, several defendants laundered proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine, and made false loan application to local banks to further the laundering of money. During the course of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained in excess of $500,000 from the distribution of methamphetamine. The government is seeking forfeiture of assets derived from the criminal offenses.
Abarca and Valdez-Ceja are scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, and Herrera and Olsen on April 30, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
Nine co-conspirators pleaded guilty in December 2012 to related drug trafficking charges. Sentencings are set for March 6, 7, and 8.
The remaining defendant, Guadalupe Meraz, 41, of Madera, California, did not appear in court as scheduled. A warrant for his arrest has issued.
The charges are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Rexburg Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Other federal agencies participating in the OCDETF program include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organization.
Isidoro David Herrera, 31, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is punishable by a minimum term of 10 years, up to life in prison; a maximum fine of $10 million; and at least five years of supervised release.
Alberto Abarca, 22, of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nicolas Levi Olsen, 29, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.
Ana Rosa Valdez-Ceja, 26, of Shelley, Idaho, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to money laundering, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
According to the plea agreements, from June 2005 through January 2012, a group of individuals centered around co-defendant Samuel Nevarez-Ayon entered into a conspiracy to possess and distribute in excess of 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Idaho Falls area. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Nevarez-Ayon admitted that he distributed methamphetamine to other individuals on at least three occasions during this same time period. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Nevarez-Ayon directed activities of various co-defendants. In addition to distributing methamphetamine, several defendants laundered proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine, and made false loan application to local banks to further the laundering of money. During the course of the conspiracy, the defendants obtained in excess of $500,000 from the distribution of methamphetamine. The government is seeking forfeiture of assets derived from the criminal offenses.
Abarca and Valdez-Ceja are scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, and Herrera and Olsen on April 30, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
Nine co-conspirators pleaded guilty in December 2012 to related drug trafficking charges. Sentencings are set for March 6, 7, and 8.
The remaining defendant, Guadalupe Meraz, 41, of Madera, California, did not appear in court as scheduled. A warrant for his arrest has issued.
The charges are the result of a nine-month investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the Idaho State Police, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Falls Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Rexburg Police Department, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Other federal agencies participating in the OCDETF program include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organization.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Hells Angels Member Diamond Dan Bifield Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Conspiracy
COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated
that Dan Bifield, a/k/a Diamond Dan, of the Hells Angels’ Rock Hell City
Nomad Chapter in South Carolina, pleaded guilty to a racketeering
conspiracy (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also
known as RICO Act-18 U.S.C. §1962). He faces up to 20 years in prison as
a result of his RICO plea and will be sentenced in March 2013 by United
States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie.
Facts detailed for the court showed that Bifield agreed with co-conspirators to participate in an criminal enterprise. The enterprise’s participants, who were associated through the Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter, engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity across the state from Rock Hill to Lexington, South Carolina. Among other offenses, the group engaged in narcotics trafficking and money laundering. As part of this enterprise, Bifield received kickbacks in return for illegal activity conducted by other members of the criminal enterprise.
This guilty plea arises from a superseding indictment charging 20 members and associates of the Hells Angels with racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, robbery, arson, and firearms trafficking. The indictment resulted from a two-year interagency investigation by the South Carolina Hells Angels Task Force (SCHATF), which includes agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Lexington County Sheriff’s Department; Lexington Police Department; Rock Hill Police Department; York County Sheriff’s Office; and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay N. Richardson and James H. May.
Facts detailed for the court showed that Bifield agreed with co-conspirators to participate in an criminal enterprise. The enterprise’s participants, who were associated through the Rock Hell City Nomad Chapter, engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity across the state from Rock Hill to Lexington, South Carolina. Among other offenses, the group engaged in narcotics trafficking and money laundering. As part of this enterprise, Bifield received kickbacks in return for illegal activity conducted by other members of the criminal enterprise.
This guilty plea arises from a superseding indictment charging 20 members and associates of the Hells Angels with racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, robbery, arson, and firearms trafficking. The indictment resulted from a two-year interagency investigation by the South Carolina Hells Angels Task Force (SCHATF), which includes agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Lexington County Sheriff’s Department; Lexington Police Department; Rock Hill Police Department; York County Sheriff’s Office; and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay N. Richardson and James H. May.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Fifteen Members of Alleged Drug Ring Arrested
NEWARK, NJ—Two members of an alleged drug trafficking
ring based in Elizabeth, New Jersey and operating throughout the
Northeast and Puerto Rico made their initial court appearances today,
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Nelson Yordan, a/k/a Carlos, 27, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Michael Rosario, 28, of Hagerstown, Maryland, were both charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.
Yordan and Rosario are among 15 people arrested over the past three weeks by FBI agents and local police in connection with a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine and heroin in the Elizabeth, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; and Hagersville, Maryland areas.
Also charged by complaint in connection with the alleged drug operation are: Roberto Rentas Negron, a/k/a El Duro; Kelmit Velazquez; Antonio Vazquez, a/k/a Panta; Fernando Duarte Castro; Julio Martinez Jr., 43, of Elizabeth; Lorenzo Carballo, 28, of Elizabeth; Hector Espinoza, a/k/a Will, 27, of Elizabeth; William Crespo, a/k/a Negro, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Melvin Gerena, a/k/a Flaco, 29, of Elizabeth; Marco Rodriguez, 26, of Elizabeth; Jerel Evans, a/k/a Gigante, 25, of Elizabeth; Robert Evans, a/k/a Gigante’s Brother; and Christian Reyes, a/k/a Enano. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Three of the defendants—Negron, Velazquez, and Vazquez—were arrested November 30, 2012, after FBI agents learned that Negron and Velazquez were plotting to murder a rival drug dealer who had reportedly stolen one kilogram of heroin from the organization. They made their initial court appearances before Judge Falk on December 3, 2012 and were ordered detained pending trial. After their arrests, many of their co-conspirators reportedly took measures to evade law enforcement, including changing cell phones and fleeing to other states.
As part of a coordinated operation, federal, and local law enforcement authorities subsequently located and arrested: Duarte Castro on December 3, 2012 in Newark; Carballo and Espinoza on December 13, 2012 in Elizabeth; Crespo in Allentown; Yordan in Hartford; and Rosario in Hagersville; on December 14, 2012. After fleeing to Puerto Rico, Rodriguez turned himself in to the FBI in San Juan on December 19, 2012.
Martinez and Gerena were previously arrested by the Elizabeth Police Department on unrelated charges and remain in state custody pending their transfer to face the federal charge. The other three defendants remain at large.
Between November 2011 and November 30, 2012, law enforcement was involved in an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Elizabeth and Newark areas. The organization had people in Puerto Rico and elsewhere coordinating shipments of cocaine and heroin through the U.S. mails to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The narcotics would be concealed in items such as candles and children’s toys. Individuals in New Jersey would coordinate these shipments, process or “cut” the narcotics, and distribute the narcotics to locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other locations.
Law enforcement in New Jersey identified Rentas Negron as the person who coordinated the acquisition of the drugs, the processing and packaging of the cocaine and heroin, the resale of the narcotics, and the distribution of the proceeds from drug sales. Vazquez frequently supplied narcotics to Rentas Negron. Reyes coordinated shipments of narcotics from Puerto Rico. The other members of the DTO cut, processed, packaged, stored, and distributed the narcotics and occasionally traveled to Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other states in order to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Elizabeth area.
The counts with which Yordan, Rosario, Negron, Velazquez, Martinez, Carballo, Espinoza, Crespo, Jerel Evans, Robert Evans, Gerena, and Rodriguez are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The counts with which Vazquez and Reyes are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The count with which Duarte Castro is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in charge Michael B. Ward; U.S. Postal Inspectors, under the direction of Phillip R. Bartlett; law enforcement officers from the New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the direction of the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romanko; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director James Cosgrove, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam N. Subervi and David Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nelson Yordan, a/k/a Carlos, 27, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Michael Rosario, 28, of Hagerstown, Maryland, were both charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.
Yordan and Rosario are among 15 people arrested over the past three weeks by FBI agents and local police in connection with a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine and heroin in the Elizabeth, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; and Hagersville, Maryland areas.
Also charged by complaint in connection with the alleged drug operation are: Roberto Rentas Negron, a/k/a El Duro; Kelmit Velazquez; Antonio Vazquez, a/k/a Panta; Fernando Duarte Castro; Julio Martinez Jr., 43, of Elizabeth; Lorenzo Carballo, 28, of Elizabeth; Hector Espinoza, a/k/a Will, 27, of Elizabeth; William Crespo, a/k/a Negro, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Melvin Gerena, a/k/a Flaco, 29, of Elizabeth; Marco Rodriguez, 26, of Elizabeth; Jerel Evans, a/k/a Gigante, 25, of Elizabeth; Robert Evans, a/k/a Gigante’s Brother; and Christian Reyes, a/k/a Enano. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Three of the defendants—Negron, Velazquez, and Vazquez—were arrested November 30, 2012, after FBI agents learned that Negron and Velazquez were plotting to murder a rival drug dealer who had reportedly stolen one kilogram of heroin from the organization. They made their initial court appearances before Judge Falk on December 3, 2012 and were ordered detained pending trial. After their arrests, many of their co-conspirators reportedly took measures to evade law enforcement, including changing cell phones and fleeing to other states.
As part of a coordinated operation, federal, and local law enforcement authorities subsequently located and arrested: Duarte Castro on December 3, 2012 in Newark; Carballo and Espinoza on December 13, 2012 in Elizabeth; Crespo in Allentown; Yordan in Hartford; and Rosario in Hagersville; on December 14, 2012. After fleeing to Puerto Rico, Rodriguez turned himself in to the FBI in San Juan on December 19, 2012.
Martinez and Gerena were previously arrested by the Elizabeth Police Department on unrelated charges and remain in state custody pending their transfer to face the federal charge. The other three defendants remain at large.
Between November 2011 and November 30, 2012, law enforcement was involved in an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Elizabeth and Newark areas. The organization had people in Puerto Rico and elsewhere coordinating shipments of cocaine and heroin through the U.S. mails to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The narcotics would be concealed in items such as candles and children’s toys. Individuals in New Jersey would coordinate these shipments, process or “cut” the narcotics, and distribute the narcotics to locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other locations.
Law enforcement in New Jersey identified Rentas Negron as the person who coordinated the acquisition of the drugs, the processing and packaging of the cocaine and heroin, the resale of the narcotics, and the distribution of the proceeds from drug sales. Vazquez frequently supplied narcotics to Rentas Negron. Reyes coordinated shipments of narcotics from Puerto Rico. The other members of the DTO cut, processed, packaged, stored, and distributed the narcotics and occasionally traveled to Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other states in order to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Elizabeth area.
The counts with which Yordan, Rosario, Negron, Velazquez, Martinez, Carballo, Espinoza, Crespo, Jerel Evans, Robert Evans, Gerena, and Rodriguez are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The counts with which Vazquez and Reyes are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The count with which Duarte Castro is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in charge Michael B. Ward; U.S. Postal Inspectors, under the direction of Phillip R. Bartlett; law enforcement officers from the New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the direction of the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romanko; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director James Cosgrove, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam N. Subervi and David Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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