Twenty-One Kansas City-Area Men Indicted for Distributing Cocaine, Crack Cocaine

KANSAS CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that 21 Kansas City, Missouri area men have been indicted by a federal grand jury, in a series of separate, but related, indictments for distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in Jackson County, Missouri.
Law enforcement officers arrested 12 defendants in an operation today. During the course of the investigation, officers seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, approximately $200,000, and six firearms.
Three indictments were returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. The federal indictments were unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of the defendants.
USA v. Piggie, et al.

• Frenklyn Piggie, 36, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Olufemi Siffre, 36, of Kansas City, Missouri
• James Caldwell, 36, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Kidada Clayborn, also known as “Goldie,” 36, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Robert Clark, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Frederick D. Clark, 20, of Kansas City, Missouri
• David Ramsey, 52, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Dawawn Orr, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Nathaniel Morris, 43, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Kenneth Harvey, 27, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Ronnie Prewitt, 32, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Ryan Wilson, 34, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Dennis Griffin, 55, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Brian Whitley, 36, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Maurice L. Campbell, 48, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Leon Lee, also known as “JJ,” 33, of Kansas City, Missouri
• Jerome L. Barnes, 33, of Kansas City, Missouri
• DeMichael Johnson, also known as “Shaq,” 35, of Raytown, Missouri
• Jesus Frye-Santoyo, 28, of Kansas City, Kansas

were charged in a 43-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014.
The federal indictment alleges that all the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and crack cocaine in Jackson County from January 1, 2013 to March 19, 2014.
In addition to the conspiracy, Piggie and Frye-Santoyo are charged together in one count of possessing five kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute. Other defendants are also charged in various counts related to distributing cocaine and crack cocaine.
Piggie is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Frederick Clark is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
USA v. Bell
Terrell Bell, 29, of Raytown, Missouri, is charged with one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine from September 1 to December 1, 2013. Bell is also charged with two counts of distributing crack cocaine.
USA v. Reed
Monroe E. Reed, 34, of Kansas City, Missouri, is charged with seven counts of distributing crack cocaine and two counts of possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.
Reed is also charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Reed allegedly was in possession of an S & W .22-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Hi-Point .45-caliber rifle, a Bersa .38-caliber pistol, an Armi Tanfoglio .25-caliber pistol, and a Lorcin .380-caliber pistol on October 30, 2012.
Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. They were investigated by the FBI; the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is available online at http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/index.html.

Harrisburg Man Charged with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the filing of an indictment in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg today charging Donald Jackson, Jr. age 28, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by the Harrisburg Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph J. Terz.
Indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational, and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

Twenty-Eight Members and Associates of Paterson Bloods Street Gang Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Distributing Heroin, Crack Cocaine, and Powder Cocaine and with Firearms Offenses

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Aaron T. Ford, the Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); William Fraher, the Acting Chief of Police of the Paterson Police Department, and Gary F. Giardina, the Chief of Police of the Clifton Police Department, today announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging 28 members and associates of the Bloods street gang operating in Passaic County, New Jersey, principally in the city of Paterson, with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, “crack” cocaine, and powder cocaine. The indictment also charges three of the defendants with brandishing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity and with being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.
Of the 28 defendants named in the superseding indictment, nine were taken into custody in a weekend sweep. Those nine defendants were presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman and detained. Five other defendants are presently detained in state custody on unrelated charges and will be writted into federal custody. One defendant, Hakim Lowery, remains at large. The other 13 defendants were arrested on earlier occasions on the underlying indictments, and all remain detained.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Once again we see the convergence of drugs, guns, and violence that plagues neighborhoods, threatens their inhabitants, and spreads potentially lethal narcotics from city to city and across state lines. To keep our neighborhoods free of illegal drugs and gang violence, we will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce federal drug and firearms laws.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford said, “Dismantling violent gangs is a continuing priority for the FBI. Our efforts to address gang violence are not new, but we are working with our partners with increased manpower and increased urgency to address current circumstances. Today’s arrests and charges are the result of a successful, long term investigation conducted by the FBI and the Paterson and Clifton Police Departments.”
Paterson Police Department Acting Chief William Fraher said, “It is critically important for cities like Paterson to leverage their existing collaborative relationships with federal and local law enforcement to reduce not only the actual violence in our communities but also reducing the perception of fear which can be just as important.”
Clifton Police Department Chief Gary F. Giardina said, “Problems faced by law enforcement do not stop at the city borders. What is one city’s problem most likely is the next city’s and at times overlaps into the next state. It is for these reasons that it is imperative that agencies work in partnership to be successful. In this case, Clifton Police worked in partnership with the Paterson Police and FBI in order to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.”
According to the allegations in the superseding indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Various “sets” of the Bloods, particularly the Fruit Town Brims and Sex Money Murder, among others, operated in Paterson, often coordinating, collaborating, and working together (defined in the Indictment as the “Paterson Bloods”). Ranking members of the Paterson Bloods would often meet to resolve disputes between their respective “soldier” members of the sets and could direct punishment against non-members. Among these punishments were that individuals were to be assaulted or killed by members of the Paterson Bloods.
The Paterson Bloods operated the drug markets in certain central locations in Paterson, New Jersey, including, in particular: North Main Street from East Main Street to Jefferson Street (an area known as “The Main”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from Lyon Street to Franklin Street (“The Boulevard”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from 12th Avenue to Hamilton Avenue; 12th Avenue from East 22nd Street to East 24th Street; 10th Avenue from East 26th Street to East 30th Street; Governor Street from Graham Avenue to Summer Street (“Up the Hill”); and Park Avenue from Madison Avenue to East 16th Street. Members of the Paterson Bloods were permitted to sell heroin and “crack” cocaine in these areas. Generally, non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers were prohibited or prevented from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods. Certain individuals—such as people who had grown up in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods, people of neutral gang or neighborhood group affiliation, or marijuana dealers who often sold to members of the Paterson Bloods—were permitted to distribute narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods but did so without the protection of the members of the Paterson Bloods and at the risk of being robbed by members of the gang. For example, on June 17, 2013, a drug dispute broke out in the area of 12th Avenue and 22nd Street, during which the defendant Rachaun Parker, a member of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods, assisted an individual who was considered a “neutral” from his neighborhood. Members of the Fruit Town Brims, including defendants Hakim Lowery and Jamar Edwards, violently beat Parker for violating the rules of the set.
Members of the Paterson Bloods and their associates committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence to protect and expand their drug trafficking operations and to protect fellow members of the gang. These acts included beatings, stabbings, and shootings intended to prevent people not affiliated with the Paterson Bloods from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the gang, or to dissuade members of rival gangs, such as the Latin Kings, from encroaching on territory controlled by the Paterson Bloods.
Members of the charged narcotics distribution conspiracy agreed to possess and distribute heroin, “crack” cocaine, and cocaine powder in the Bronx, Manhattan, and New Jersey. On at least two occasions, certain defendants, armed with loaded guns, delivered what they believed to be approximately one kilogram of cocaine to an address in the Bronx in return for delivery fees.

* * *

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI, the Paterson Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department. The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program, and it combined the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with local law enforcement.
The Office’s Violent Crimes Unit is overseeing the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justina L. Geraci and Michael D. Maimin are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina A. Fornos is in charge of the asset forfeiture components of the case.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Nineteen People Indicted for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin, Crack Cocaine, and Pills in Marion, Ohio

Nineteen people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic large amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription pills in Marion, Ohio.
The unsealing of the 72-count indictment was announced today by Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office; Marion Police Major William Collins; Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey; and Marion County Prosecutor Brent Yager.
The indictment details a two-year conspiracy in which heroin, crack cocaine, Percocet, Ritalin, Xanaxm and Vicodin were brought from Detroit and Fort Wayne, Indiana to Marion, where the drugs were sold to dozens of people, including juveniles.
Indicted are: Allen Graves, 46, of Detroit; Martez Montgomery, 22, of Detroit; Terrance Lombard, 39, of Eastpoint, Michigan; Edward Hearn, 40, of Detroit; Darryl McFadden, 53, of Detroit; Jeronne White, 33, of Marion; Christopher Prince, 20, of Detroit; Danni Childers, 21, of Marion; DeCarlos Bates, 21, of Hamtramck, Michigan; DeVonta Adams, 21, of Detroit; Jason Graves, 22, of Detroit; Marniece Love, 22, of Hazel Park, Michigan; Brittany Payne, 19, of Marion; Marcus Benson, 34, of Harper Woods, Michigan; Greg Burkett, 56, of Marion; Darrell Jacobs, 38, of Caledonia, Ohio; Danielle Sullivan, 23, of Marion; Steven Lester, 48, of Marion, and Abbee Heine, 20, of Marion.
“Our state has been flooded with heroin and diverted prescription pills, which have been accompanied by a wave of death and addiction,” Dettelbach said. “These arrests represent a joint law enforcement effort to choke off the supply of drugs to our region.”
Anthony said: “This interstate drug trafficking organization brought danger and violence to the community through multiple shootings, overdoses and continued addiction for citizens in Marion. The FBI, along with the numerous agencies that brought this group to justice, will continue collaborative efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug traffickers.”
“MARMET’s battles with traffickers from Detroit have been well documented,” said Marion Police Major William Collins. “We want this to be an example for other trafficking organizations that if they choose Marion as the place to peddle their poison, they will do real prison time.”
“Drug abuse devastates lives and tears apart families, and the individuals who are now facing charges have played a direct role in fueling addiction,” said Attorney General DeWine. “We are proud to have assisted with this case through the work of our BCI crime lab, and we will continue to work together in the future to prevent drug abuse and trafficking in this state.”
Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said: “Drugs come into our community through many means and it takes and will continue to take resources from all agencies to continue the fight against the drug problem and other crimes in our community to help keep our residents and future residents of our community safe.”
Montgomery and Graves obtained heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs from Lombard, Hearn, Benson, McFadden, and other suppliers in Detroit and Fort Wayne. They also recruited friends and family members in Detroit to travel to Marion to distribute the drugs, according to the indictment.
Montgomery and Graves, with the assistance of Heine, rented homes in Heine’s name at 438 1/2 North Prospect Street and 323 Mound Street in Marion for the purpose of distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs. Childers also rented the house at 238 Park Boulevard in Marion for the purpose of distributing the drugs, according to the indictment.
Lester, as part of the conspiracy, allowed Graves and Montgomery to register vehicles in his name to avoid suspicion of law enforcement. Lester also routinely drove Graves from Marion to Detroit and back to transport drugs and drug proceeds, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, a juvenile, and others also shared a “community telephone” which they all used to communicate with drug customers and suppliers, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, Lester, a juvenile, and others shared and used residences rented by Allen Graves, Montgomery, Heine, and Childers for the purpose of storing and distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs, according to the indictment.
The indictment goes on to detail scores of transactions, phone calls and other actions related to their sale and distribution of drugs.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis Field Offices, the MARMET Drug Task Force (composed of members of the Marion Police Department, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office), the METRICH Drug Task Force, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph M. Pinjuh and Alissa Sterling.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.