Twenty-four people have been arrested on federal charges involving an interstate marijuana trafficking organization, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration Thursday.
According to the indictment, David Ingram Henderson is the leader of an organization involved in the transportation of bulk quantities of marijuana from Arizona to the St. Louis area beginning in the summer of 2006 and continuing to the present time. Salvador Linan, Edwardo Wilson and Emmanuel Gathrite are the Arizona suppliers.
Prosecutors gave the following account of the investigation:
One organization member would drive a rental vehicle loaded with marijuana while other members would occupy decoy rental vehicles designed to direct law enforcement attention away from the loaded vehicle. The indictment alleges that members of the organization would use banks or casinos to exchange smaller bills generated from the sale of marijuana for larger bills which made it easier to conceal and transport to the suppliers in Arizona to pay for future shipments. One example listed in the indictment was on June 26, 2009. Members of the conspiracy inserted a total of $13,660 into slot machines at Ameristar Casino and immediately printed out paper vouchers which they cashed out for the full amount without ever playing the slot machines. Members of the conspiracy are also charged with operating indoor marijuana growing operations at various locations in St. Louis City and County.
Harry S. Sommers, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA St. Louis Division stated, "The impact of Project Deliverance reflects the commitment of DEA and our local law enforcement partners in the dismantling and destruction of these drug distribution and transportation organizations locally as well as globally."
Indicted:
Salvador Rocha Linan, 33, Tucson, AZ;
Edwardo Armando Wilson, 38, Tucson, AZ;
Emmanuel Gathrite, 30, Tucson, AZ;
David Ingram Henderson, 36, Maryland Heights, MO.;
Corey T. Franklin, 33, Florissant, MO;
Nicholas Lamar Bates, 28, Florissant, MO;
Eddie Charles Mackey, Jr., 32, St. Louis, MO;
Ricco Perez Johnson, 35, Oklahoma City, OK;
Frederic Lamont Caldwell, 41, St. Louis, MO;
Tommy Lee Tolliver, 29, St. Louis, MO;
Stanley Christopher Bates, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Sean Ryan McQuiller, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Jesse James Nelson, 27, O'Fallon,MO.;
Cornell Roland Allen, 35, St. Louis, MO.;
Justin Strain, 30, Foristell, MO;
Askia Ingram, 33, Florissant, MO;
Michael David Harris, 28, Tucson, AZ;
John Gaddy, 27, St. Louis, MO.;
Steven Phillips, 24, St. Louis, MO.;
Bryant Hancock, 28, St. Louis, MO.;
Kiesha Tamia Givens, 31, St. Louis, MO.;
Brittany Dorine Cornell, 27, Florissant, MO.;
April Dionne Fultz, 28, St. Louis, MO; and
Latonya Trenee Moore, 25, St. Charles, MO.
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana (1000+ kilograms) carries a penalty range of fifteen years to life in prison and/or fines up to $4,000,000. (All defendants except Moore)
Conspiracy to manufacture marijuana (1000 + kilograms) carries a penalty range of fifteen years to life in prison and/or fines up to $4,000,000. (Henderson, Johnson, Caldwell, Stanley Bates, McQuiller, Phillips)
Manufacture of marijuana carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Henderson)
Money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Henderson, Franklin, Nicholas Bates, Mackey, Johnson, Stanley Bates, Nelson, Strain, Ingram, Phillips, Cornell, Moore)
Possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Nicholas Bates, Givens)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Nicholas Bates)
In addition to the above charges, each defendant is charged with a forfeiture count, which if convicted, will require the forfeiture of cash and property derived from the illegal activity. Subject to forfeiture as listed in the indictment is $1million; $210,340 seized in March 2010; nine vehicles, ATV and a boat.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Contact: St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Copyright: 2010 St. Louis Globe-Democrat, LLC
Website: 24 charged in multi-kilo marijuana trafficking ring
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
According to the indictment, David Ingram Henderson is the leader of an organization involved in the transportation of bulk quantities of marijuana from Arizona to the St. Louis area beginning in the summer of 2006 and continuing to the present time. Salvador Linan, Edwardo Wilson and Emmanuel Gathrite are the Arizona suppliers.
Prosecutors gave the following account of the investigation:
One organization member would drive a rental vehicle loaded with marijuana while other members would occupy decoy rental vehicles designed to direct law enforcement attention away from the loaded vehicle. The indictment alleges that members of the organization would use banks or casinos to exchange smaller bills generated from the sale of marijuana for larger bills which made it easier to conceal and transport to the suppliers in Arizona to pay for future shipments. One example listed in the indictment was on June 26, 2009. Members of the conspiracy inserted a total of $13,660 into slot machines at Ameristar Casino and immediately printed out paper vouchers which they cashed out for the full amount without ever playing the slot machines. Members of the conspiracy are also charged with operating indoor marijuana growing operations at various locations in St. Louis City and County.
Harry S. Sommers, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA St. Louis Division stated, "The impact of Project Deliverance reflects the commitment of DEA and our local law enforcement partners in the dismantling and destruction of these drug distribution and transportation organizations locally as well as globally."
Indicted:
Salvador Rocha Linan, 33, Tucson, AZ;
Edwardo Armando Wilson, 38, Tucson, AZ;
Emmanuel Gathrite, 30, Tucson, AZ;
David Ingram Henderson, 36, Maryland Heights, MO.;
Corey T. Franklin, 33, Florissant, MO;
Nicholas Lamar Bates, 28, Florissant, MO;
Eddie Charles Mackey, Jr., 32, St. Louis, MO;
Ricco Perez Johnson, 35, Oklahoma City, OK;
Frederic Lamont Caldwell, 41, St. Louis, MO;
Tommy Lee Tolliver, 29, St. Louis, MO;
Stanley Christopher Bates, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Sean Ryan McQuiller, 30, St. Louis, MO;
Jesse James Nelson, 27, O'Fallon,MO.;
Cornell Roland Allen, 35, St. Louis, MO.;
Justin Strain, 30, Foristell, MO;
Askia Ingram, 33, Florissant, MO;
Michael David Harris, 28, Tucson, AZ;
John Gaddy, 27, St. Louis, MO.;
Steven Phillips, 24, St. Louis, MO.;
Bryant Hancock, 28, St. Louis, MO.;
Kiesha Tamia Givens, 31, St. Louis, MO.;
Brittany Dorine Cornell, 27, Florissant, MO.;
April Dionne Fultz, 28, St. Louis, MO; and
Latonya Trenee Moore, 25, St. Charles, MO.
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana (1000+ kilograms) carries a penalty range of fifteen years to life in prison and/or fines up to $4,000,000. (All defendants except Moore)
Conspiracy to manufacture marijuana (1000 + kilograms) carries a penalty range of fifteen years to life in prison and/or fines up to $4,000,000. (Henderson, Johnson, Caldwell, Stanley Bates, McQuiller, Phillips)
Manufacture of marijuana carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Henderson)
Money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Henderson, Franklin, Nicholas Bates, Mackey, Johnson, Stanley Bates, Nelson, Strain, Ingram, Phillips, Cornell, Moore)
Possession with intent to distribute marijuana carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Nicholas Bates, Givens)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of five years prison and/or fines up to $250,000. (Nicholas Bates)
In addition to the above charges, each defendant is charged with a forfeiture count, which if convicted, will require the forfeiture of cash and property derived from the illegal activity. Subject to forfeiture as listed in the indictment is $1million; $210,340 seized in March 2010; nine vehicles, ATV and a boat.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Contact: St. Louis Globe-Democrat
Copyright: 2010 St. Louis Globe-Democrat, LLC
Website: 24 charged in multi-kilo marijuana trafficking ring
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
