Barboursville Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Marijuana Conspiracy

HUNTINGTON, WV—A Barboursville man who participated in a marijuana conspiracy from 2012 to the summer of 2013 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Brandon L. Madden, 33, pleaded guilty in federal court in Huntington to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. In July 2013, United States Postal inspectors intercepted a package containing controlled substances that was to be delivered to Madden. When confronted by inspectors, Madden admitted his role in a drug conspiracy in the Cabell County area. In addition to pleading guilty, Madden will forfeit $16,640 in cash and a 2013 Dodge Durango seized by the Postal Service in connection with this case.
Madden faces up to 10 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 24, 2013.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspector with the assistance of the Huntington Violent Crime/Drug Task Force, which is coordinated by the FBI. The prosecution is being handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sharon M. Frazier.

Fresno Police Department Detective and Fresno Marijuana Trafficker Indicted in Bribery Scheme

FRESNO, CA—A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Derik Carson Kumagai, 40, resident of Clovis, California, and Saykham Somphoune, a/k/a, “Oat,” 40, resident of Fresno, California, charging them with conspiracy, bribery, and extortion, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, detective Kumagai accepted a $20,000 bribe from an individual who was under investigation for marijuana trafficking. In return for the bribe payment, Kumagai and co-conspirator Somphoune (who is not a law enforcement officer) promised the person under investigation that he would be signed up as a confidential informant for the Fresno Police Department. On November 6, 2013, the person under investigation paid Kumagai approximately $20,000 cash. A few hours later, the person under investigation completed purported documents regarding work as a confidential informant for the Fresno Police Department.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service also provided investigative assistance in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Grant B. Rabenn and Kevin P. Rooney are prosecuting the case.
Derik Kumagai was released from pretrial custody on March 19, 2014. Saykham Somphoune is currently detained as a flight risk.
If convicted of conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of bribery, they face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. If convicted of extortion or conspiracy to commit extortion, they face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Cambria County Woman Sentenced to Probation with Home Detention for Marijuana Trafficking Scheme

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Carrolltown, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ probation, the first 12 months of which must be served by conditions of home confinement, on her conviction of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Marguerite G. Lowmaster, 67, of Carrolltown, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, from March 2009 to May 9, 2011, Marguerite G. Lowmaster conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 10 kilograms, but less than 20 kilograms, of marijuana. In addition, evidence presented to the court at the time of Marguerite G. Lowmaster’s sentencing reflected that she conspired with George M. Lowmaster and others with the intent to facilitate and promote George M. Lowmaster’s drug distribution organization.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the joint task force, headed by the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Marguerite G. Lowmaster. Other agencies participating on the task force include the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Carrolltown Police Department, Patton Police Department, Ebensburg Police Department, Portage Police Department, and Paint Township Police Department.

Rehoboth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—MacDavis Bahe, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Rehoboth, New Mexico, was sentenced this morning to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on methamphetamine trafficking and firearms charges.
Bahe was indicted in June 2012 and charged with distributing methamphetamine and marijuana in McKinley County, Rehoboth, New Mexico between February 2012 and May 2012. He also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm.
On September 6, 2013, Bahe admitted that he distributed methamphetamine on February 17, 2012 to an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover officer. Bahe also admitted that he unlawfully possessed a shotgun on May 1, 2012. Bahe acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he previously had been convicted of the following felony offenses in the 11th Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico in McKinley County: burglary, aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, and being a felon in possession of a firearm or destructive device.
The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Middle Rio Grande Valley Narcotics Task Force, the Gallup Police Department, and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez.
The Middle Rio Grande Valley Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Albuquerque Police Department, the Albuquerque office of the DEA, Pojoaque Tribal Police Department, Rio Rancho Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, and Valencia County Sheriff’s Office. It is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program that was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.

Relaxed pot rules boost demand for "munchies"

Harold and Kumar were on to something: Marijuana and food are a natural pairing. And as marijuana use continues to gain acceptance around the country, more businesses are focusing on how food fits in.

Medical marijuana is allowed in 20 states and the District of Columbia. And recreational pot is allowed in Colorado and Washington, with more states looking closely at following suit.

In Colorado, the only state that allows recreational marijuana sales, several companies are exploring the relationship between food and pot. One catering company is developing a dinner series featuring a menu that "enhances" the experience. The food itself doesn't contain marijuana, The Denver Post reports, but it's designed to be stimulating to people who attend BYOC (that's bring-your-own-cannibis) parties.

The "munchies for foodies" menu includes blue cheese meatballs, chicken Parmesan lollipops and steak-jalapeno poppers, The Post reports. "Marijuana is not the new prescription drug, it's the new wine," organizer Jane West tells The Post. "It should be paired with meals."

That sentiment is shared by Hapa Sushi, a restaurant chain in Colorado offering a marijuana and sushi pairing menu. The food doesn't contain pot, and no smoking is allowed, The Daily Camera reports. But the company is clearly staking its claim as the place to go for grub when you're high.

The pairing menu suggests a spicy shrimp in a chili pepper dipping sauce as an accompaniment to Pakistani Kush pot, for example. And katsu curry might go well with the Blue Dream strain of marijuana.

And then there are the companies that actually combine marijuana and food. A Denver supplier of marijuana edibles has seen so much business that it limits customers to only two products a day, The Denver Channel reports. The company, Dixie Elixirs, infuses chocolates, mints, sodas and lotions with marijuana.

In Seattle, chefs competing in a "Cannabis Cup" competition for marijuana edibles last year produced truffles infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC -- the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis -- that also contained 23-karat edible gold leafing.

But the Seattle police department might have the best take on marijuana and pot. When officers there wanted to call attention to the state's marijuana rules at last year's Hempfest event, they enlisted the help of a tried-and-true classic: They stuck the rules on 1,000 bags of Doritos and handed them out for free. 

Is Colorado going to pot? The jury's still out

There has been a line outside Evergreen Apothecary in Denver every day since Jan. 1, when Colorado became the first state in the nation to allow the legal sale of recreational marijuana.

Owner Tim Cullen used to sell marijuana for medical purposes only.

"We used to do 75 people a day through our medical store. We're averaging about 375 sales a day now," Cullen said.
The marijuana boom is creating jobs.

"I can't hire people fast enough," Cullen said.

Demand has been so strong that the price of pot has doubled to $400 an ounce. Supply is limited because the 40 licensed stores must grow their own supply.

"As more stores are licensed, I anticipate prices will drop," Cullen said.

A third of sales at Evergreen have been to people from out of state, even though they cannot buy more than a half-ounce, or take it across state lines.

Raymond Cappabianco drove here from Florida.

"First legal marijuana I've bought in my life and I can't wait for it to go nationwide," he said.

Denver Councilman Charlie Brown was against legalizing marijuana sales for recreational use. He's now part of the group writing new rules for the city’s growth industry. 

"I was fearful of shall we say, cannabis chaos, but that didn't turn out," Brown said. "It was really a marijuana milestone but the concerns are still there, especially to our young people." 

He wants part of the tax revenue from sales to fund anti-drug programs.

Police in Colorado and neighboring states report no significant increase in marijuana-related offenses or trafficking. But critics say one week is not enough time to assess the full impact of the new law.

At least 130 more shops are waiting for permits to open.

As a budding business, marijuana not for the faint-hearted

The day after New Year's, Ralph Morgan is watching crowds of people lining up outside the Evergreen Apothecary in Denver with what looks to be a mixture of pride, elation and apprehension.

Morgan, 40, is one of Evergreen's owners, and the excited horde of people at his shop have lined up to become some of the first adults in Colorado to legally purchase cannabis for recreational use under a new state law. And he admits he never expected the crush of people that have come to buy his product.

“In fact,” he said, “we printed 250 certificates so that people could use those as a memento to archive the event, and we were out of those by about 8:15 a.m.”

Morgan and his wife Heidi started Evergreen four years ago as a legal medical marijuana facility. Before that, he worked for several large companies in medical device sales and marketing. He says he was intrigued by the growing trend in legal medical marijuana and began researching the industry.

“I knew it was going to be a part of history, started doing some due diligence on it and learned that, wow, there is tremendous medical efficacy here,” he recalled.

The Morgans found commercial space in south Denver, along with a landlord who was open to the idea of housing a cannabis shop. “We admitted to him that we didn't have any idea of what we were doing, had never grown marijuana,” Morgan laughed.”We just thought it was a phenomenon, and it was a part of history.”
The first year was a struggle. Morgan says for a while there were more people coming into their store trying to sell them marijuana than actual customers. But his company then began targeting older cannabis consumers. During the first first year, the average age of the Apothecary's customer base was 64.

“We didn't satisfy the [typical marijuana user's] stereotype, that's for certain,” he said. “We really enjoyed speaking with people who were finding tremendous success with their ailments with cannabis.”

They soon started a second company, Organalabs, that extracts cannabis oil for tablets, use in portable vaporizers and other applications. And a year later the Morgans merged with another group, Colorado Harvest Colony.

Unlike other small businesses, the medical marijuana industry in Colorado – and now its recreational counterpart – is burdened with very specific regulations. State law requires companies to grow at least 70 percent of the product they sell. Recreational marijuana also comes with a stiff sales tax meant to fund state education projects.
Because marijuana remains a felony under federal law, most banks and financial institutions won't work with the cannabis industry, forcing dispensaries to deal largely in cash-only transactions.

“You're forced to grow organically,” Morgan said, referring to his business model and not his cannabis plants. “It's great to not have debt, which we don't. However, you're shackled to what you can afford. So you can steal equity from the home, you can ask friends and family. But the market's maturing. A lot of people now are interested in investing.”

Like other established companies in Colorado's cannabis industry, Morgan and his group ramped-up production after the 2012 elections, when the state's voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana to adults. But even that advance planning couldn't prepare him for the rabid consumer demand unleashed on Jan. 1 when the new law went into effect.

 “At this pace, we're going to be out of product to sell people on the [recreational] side in a matter of weeks,” he said. If Evergreen runs out, a new crop is harvested weekly at the company's grow facilities and a new supply, while limited, comes on the market.
Once the hoopla and pent-up demand for marijuana dies down, Morgan predicts this budding new business is going to see “tremendous stability” – and open the door for the legalization of cannabis in yet more states.

Colorado pot law called springboard for other states

In an office run from his Massachusetts home, William Downing is part of a burgeoning national pro-pot movement emboldened by the approval of recreational marijuana laws in Colorado and Washington.
"I'm a believer, as The Monkees said," Downing said, a reference to a pop-rock band from an era when the thought of marijuana legalization was all but unimaginable.

Downing is treasurer of the group Bay State Repeal in Massachusetts, which already has dozens of medical marijuana dispensaries and decriminalized possession of small amounts of the drug. Now, Downing and others are pushing for full legalization of recreational marijuana by making the case to state voters during a proposed 2016 ballot initiative.

"The essence of what's happening is that people are getting educated," Downing said. "People are learning. The rest of the nation is finding out that they have been lied to about cannabis by their government for many decades."

This week, Colorado became the first state to sell marijuana for recreational use. Hundreds of buyers waited in line for hours to be a part of opening-day history. Sales were brisk.

Now, Colorado's historic legalization policy is being touted as a springboard for the other states.
In 2012, Colorado voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana, as did voters in Washington state. But Colorado is the first to have the pot shops up and running under regulations recently established by state and local governments. Colorado voters' approval in effect amended the state's constitution to allow for the retail sale of recreational pot. The state already allowed medical marijuana.

The entire state is not implementing the law, however. A community can decide not to allow the shops, and in fact, most areas of the state have not, including communities such as Greeley and Colorado Springs.
In November, Portland, Maine, followed Washington and Colorado's lead and legalized recreational use of the drug, while the Michigan cities of Lansing, Jackson and Ferndale resoundingly voted to let people older than 21 possess an ounce of marijuana on private property.

"We're going to set an example for the rest of the nation and the rest of the world," said Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project, the Washington, D.C.-based group that was the largest financial backer of the Colorado effort.

Tvert challenged media accounts that described Colorado's new pot law as an experiment.
"In fact, the experiment was marijuana prohibition, and that experiment failed," he said.
Advocates are pushing for recreational marijuana laws in Alaska, which could become the third state with such laws, Tvert said. And a campaign could start in Oregon this year or in 2016. In addition, pro-recreational marijuana Initiatives are expected in six other states in 2016: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana and Nevada, according to Tvert.

Public opinion on legalization has changed drastically since the 1960s. There has been an unprecedented spike in approval ratings in the last year, reaching 58%, according to a recent Gallup Poll. The number marks a 10% increase since Colorado and Washington voted to legalize pot, "and the legal momentum shows no sign of abating," according to Gallup.

Opponents of marijuana legalization say there are serious health consequences, and argue the drug is often a gateway to more harmful, addictive substances.

In addition to Colorado and Washington, 18 other states and the District of Columbia allow some legal use of marijuana, primarily for medicinal purposes.

In Massachusetts, Downing and other activists hope to follow Colorado's lead in the next two years.
Massachusetts voters have twice supported ballot measures aimed at easing restrictions on marijuana.
In 2008, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question decriminalizing possession of up to an ounce of pot, making it instead a civil offense punishable by a $100 fine. In 2012, Massachusetts overwhelmingly approved a ballot question allowing for up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries around the state.

Pro-marijuana initiatives sprouting nationwide are more than a sign of a change in political attitude, Downing said.

"The momentum has to do with an understanding that cannabis is a far safer medicine and recreational substance," he said.

10 things to know about nation's first recreational marijuana shops in Colorado

Colorado will begin allowing recreational marijuana sales on January 1 to anyone age 21 or over.

Residents will be able to buy marijuana like alcohol -- except the cannabis purchase is limited to an ounce, which is substantial enough to cost about $200 or more.

It's a big moment: Colorado will become the first state in the nation to open recreational pot stores and become the first place in the world where marijuana will be regulated from seed to sale. Pot, by the way, is the third most popular recreational drug in America, after alcohol and tobacco, according to the marijuana reform group NORML.

Here are 10 things to know about what will be a closely watched landmark law.

How can this be? 

Voters wanted this. And the law is now in the Colorado constitution after 65% of voters said yes to legalizing recreational marijuana.

Why?Colorado wasn't the only state to OK this in November 2012. Voters in Washington also said yes, but that state won't open marijuana retail outlets until later in 2014.

There are the usual "legalize it" arguments about how pot is less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco and how legalization would save taxpayers $10 billion yearly on enforcing the prohibition.

Then there's the reality we all know: There will be a tax bonanza to public treasuries.

Retail weed will have a 25% state tax -- plus the usual state sales tax of 2.9% -- making recreational pot one of the most heavily taxed consumer products in Colorado. Some communities are adding even more taxes to the product.

The additional revenue will initially amount to $67 million a year, with $27.5 million of it designated to build schools, state tax officials say.

So why bother with separate medical marijuana?

Because buyers of medical pot won't face the additional taxes.

Medicinal weed in Colorado still requires a physician's recommendation, and the dispensaries will be separate outlets from the recreational pot retailers.

How much recreational weed can I buy?

If you are 21 or older, you can buy up to an ounce at a licensed store, as long as you have a Colorado ID. People from outside Colorado can buy a quarter ounce.

Only a handful of stores, however, are expected to open on January 1, and Denver will be home to many of them, according to the Denver Post and the weekly Denver Westword. In fact, there are concerns that supplies will be sold out on the first day, with so few stores having passed the lengthy licensing process so far. About 160 retailers are still seeking licenses statewide.

Users can also share an ounce of cannabis with a friend as long as no money is exchanged.

Where can I light up?

You won't be allowed to smoke pot in public and, in fact, can't even smoke in the pot shop or other establishments governed by the state's Clean Indoor Air Act.

That leaves the smoking to private properties, with the owner's permission.

Communities and counties can still choose not to allow recreational marijuana stores in their local jurisdictions, and a good many towns have, such as Colorado Springs and Greeley.

Meanwhile, ski resorts are concerned about scofflaws lighting up while on the slopes, with smoke intruding on family settings.

Can I grow my own?

Yes, you can grow up to six plants in your home, but the pot patch must be enclosed and locked.

Can the underage get busted for pot?

Yes, it's illegal to possess and use marijuana if you're under 21, but the city of Denver this month decriminalized pot for people between ages 18 and 21. The city would keep the fines -- but remove the jail time -- for being caught with an ounce or less. The potential jail time had been up to a year.

Youths under age 18 could be sent to a juvenile assessment center, instead of jail. The measure ensures kids "don't have to live into adulthood with mistakes they might have made when they were 19," Councilman Albus Brooks said in a Denver Post article.

What about DUI?

A motorist in Colorado can be ticketed for impaired driving if his or her blood shows more than 5 nanograms of active THC, the active constituent of marijuana, NORML says on its website.

Some users will fall below that level three hours after consuming pot, but "some people will still be well above 5 ng," NORML says. "Do recognize that the effects of alcohol and marijuana together may be more than the sum of their parts."

Some analysts describe impairment as a guessing game, depending on the person.

"Is Colorado's marijuana DUI rule flawless? Far from it. But as the state's policymakers have come to realize, the world's first legal pot rules aren't going to be perfect. They just have to be good enough. Good enough to keep the feds away, good enough to keep marijuana stakeholders happy, good enough to keep Coloradans from worrying they've made a horrible mistake," University of Denver law professor Sam Kamin and writer Joel Warner wrote in Slate this month.

And what about the feds?

It's always been a murky relationship between the feds and those states with laws authorizing medical -- and now recreational -- marijuana. Federal law says the drug's possession, manufacture, and sale is illegal, punishable by up to life in prison, and its mass cultivation is a sensitive subject among growers, experts say.

But in August, the U.S. Justice Department said it won't challenge Colorado or other states with laws legalizing recreational marijuana. Instead, federal officials will focus on serious trafficking and keeping the drug away from children.

Does this confuse you?

It should, one legal analyst says.

"They should be confused," attorney Alan Dershowitz said. "The federal government still takes the position technically that you're violating federal law if you're complying with the state law. But the Obama administration, I believe, has recently has taken a turn on its approach to drug enforcement."

Can I giggle?

Let the jokes and puns begin -- stoned or not.

Even Colorado NORML is being cheeky about it, posting online a list of what's allowable under the new recreational pot law.

It's called "Doobie-DOs."

Lower Burrell Man Sentenced to Probation for Participating in Cambria County Marijuana Distribution Ring

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to three years’ probation on his conviction of possession of marijuana, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Anthony T. Digirolamo, 65.
According to information presented to the court, on May 2, 2011, Digirolamo possessed with the intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the joint task force, headed by the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Digirolamo. Other agencies participating on the task force include the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Carrolltown Police Department, Patton Police Department, Ebensburg Police Department, Portage Police Department, and Paint Township Police Department.

Ohio Woman Sentenced to Probation with Home Detention for Role in Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Hanoverton, Ohio has been sentenced in federal court to five years of probation, the first 12 months of which must be served by conditions of home confinement, on her conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess marijuana, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Bonnie L. Chapman, 63, of 32091 Woodale Dr., Hanoverton, Ohio.
According to information presented to the court, from March 2009 to May 9, 2011, Chapman conspired with George M. Lowmaster to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana in order to facilitate and promote Lowmaster’s drug distribution organization.
Assistant United States Attorney John J. Valkovci, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the joint task force, headed by the Laurel Highlands Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Chapman. Other agencies participating on the task force include the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Pennsylvania State Police; the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office; the Carrolltown Police Department; the Patton Police Department; the Ebensburg Police Department; the Portage Police Department; and the Paint Township Police Department.

Twenty-Six People Charged in Drug Conspiracy, Accused of Distributing Heroin, Cocaine, and Marijuana

WASHINGTON—Seventeen people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation by the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Safe Streets Task Force into a network that trafficked heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from Texas to the Washington, D.C. area. The drugs were then distributed in the Washington, D.C. area.
In addition to the arrests today, in the Washington, D.C. area, two defendants already were in custody. Seven others were apprehended in McAllen, Texas, on November 18, 2013.
The arrests and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants are among those named in two indictments returned on November 7, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictments, partially unsealed, charge the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the defendants also are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both indictments also include a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds derived from the crimes, as well as assets used to commit the offenses. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD were joined in the law enforcement action this week by the FBI San Antonio Field Office’s McAllen Resident Agency; the U.S. Park Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; the Hidalgo County, Texas Sheriff’s Office; and the San Juan, Texas Police Department.
A total of 17 locations and four vehicles were searched today in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Authorities seized 18 guns, heroin, PCP, and cash.
The indictments allege that the defendants conspired to carry out the drug operation from October 2012 through October of this year, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network allegedly operated in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Texas.
“These indictments were designed to dismantle a drug ring that trafficked heroin and cocaine from Texas into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 200 agents and officers whose courage today resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of more than a dozen firearms and heroin and PCP. The District of Columbia is a safer place today with these guns and drugs off the street.”
“The arrests that were carried out this week in the Washington, D.C. region and in Texas once again show that we will not tolerate drug dealers who attempt to root their network within our communities and afflict our neighborhoods with their illegal trade,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI is focused on pursuing those who pose a threat to our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
“These are significant arrests, and the volume of drugs and weapons seized highlight the potentially devastating impact this criminal enterprise had on the D.C. metropolitan area and various communities across the country,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department along with our local and federal law enforcement partners continue to work together to make our communities safer by locating and disrupting criminal organizations intent on wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods for their own personal gain. We are sending a message to criminals nationwide that we will find you and arrest you.”
A total of 12 men and five women were arrested in the area today.
Those arrested in the Washington, D.C. area include several members of one family: Juan Floyd, 45, of Temple Hills, Maryland, an alleged leader of the enterprise; his brother, John Floyd, 51, of Washington, D.C.; and his daughter, Juanita N. Culbreth, 27, of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Others arrested today include: Lisa Adona, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Rodney Kirk Carter, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Derek L. Gadsden, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Donald Johnson, 51, of Washington, D.C.; Mike Johnson, 30, of Deale, Maryland; Albert P. Jones, 44, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Vincent J. Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C.; Roxanne Matthews-Baker, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Maurice P. Mercer, 38, of Washington, D.C.; Lawrence E. Proctor, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Darnell S. Rogers, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Bruce Settles, 48, of Washington, D.C.; Delshawn A. Wrice, 53, of Washington, D.C., and Jeri Wright, 60, of Suitland, Maryland.
Jeffrey Coachman, 39, and Gary Price, 47, already were in custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. They also expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the McAllen Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, for their assistance in the investigation.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Jeannette Litz, Reagan Gibson, Rommel Pachoca, Teesha Tobias, Kim Hall, Niya Attucks, and Mary Downing and Legal Assistants Priscilla Hutson and Jessica Moffatt.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who is assisting with the forfeiture action; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Suzanne Clement Libby, who assisted with the investigation and prosecution.