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No jury needed for drug network case; possible $24M+ in fines |
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Thursday, 27 August 2009 |
Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced that his office has concluded the prosecution phase of a large drug distribution investigation.
“This prosecution involved one of the largest illicit controlled substance networks in southeast Oklahoma and northeast Texas,” Sperling observed. “Recently secured guilty pleas eliminated the need for an extended jury trial.”
The trial was originally scheduled to begin Aug, 31 in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Indictment in the case was returned on Feb. 18, 2008. Federal prosecutors charged six men with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, Oxycodone, Morphine, Dihydrocodeinone, Xanax, Carisoprodol and marijuana.
"Although the conspiracy was primarily based in Idabel, Oklahoma,” Sperling said, “conspirators did business in a large area including McCurtain County and Choctaw County, and as far south as Austin, Texas.”
The investigation began in 2004. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Wallace led the complex inter-district, multi-state prosecution. Agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), Drug Enforcement Administration, Choctaw and McCurtain County Sheriff’s Departments, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Lamar County Texas District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, McAlester Police Department, Krebs Police Department, the United States Marshal Service, Oklahoma High-way Patrol, Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma Department of Human Services and the Civil Air Patrol participated in the investigation.
This investigation targeted the sale of diverted prescription drugs and illicit drugs in southeast Oklahoma and northeast Texas. The investigation was coordinated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force of the Eastern District of Oklahoma. OCDETF is an initiative led in and coordinated by the Office of the United States Attorney.
An indictment returned by a federal grand jury in February named the following defendants. At plea hearings in the past week, these defendants have now pled guilty and have been found guilty of the following federal felonies.
Jeffrey Lyn Pierce, 60, of Hugo was a distributor of illegal prescription drugs and methamphetamine in and around Hugo. Pierce entered a guilty plea to a criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances. This criminal offense carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine. Pierce also pled guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. This felony carries a statutory range of punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment and up to $500,000 in fines. A preliminary guideline calculation estimates a term of imprisonment of 87 to 108 months.
Jack Henderson, 64, of Elgin, Texas, a licensed pharmacist in Austin, Texas, was the primary source of supply for illicit prescription drugs to Pierce. Henderson entered a guilty plea to a criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances. This offense carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine. The defendant’s absence of prior criminal history may render him eligible for a sentence below the otherwise applicable mandatory minimum prison sentence under what is known as the “safety valve” provision. A preliminary guideline calculation for the distribution of the diverted prescription drugs projects a term of eight to14 months imprisonment.
Billy Joe Green, also known as “Bill Bill,” 34, of Idabel, was a source of supply of methamphetamine and cocaine for drug distributors in McCurtain and Choctaw counties.
Green entered a guilty plea to a criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances. This offense carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine.
A preliminary guideline calculation estimates a term of 262 to 327 months imprisonment.
Martin Wayne Young, also known as "Marty," 39, of Wright City was a large scale distributor of methamphetamine and cocaine for large scale distributors in McCurtain and Choctaw counties. Young entered a guilty plea to a criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances. This crime carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine. A preliminary guideline calculation estimates a term of 97 to 121 months imprisonment.
Charles Andrew Todd, also known as "Pepe," 35, of Millerton was a large scale distributor of methamphetamine and cocaine for large scale distributors in McCurtain and Choctaw counties. Todd entered a guilty plea to a criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances.
This felony carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine. Todd also pled guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. This felony carries a statutory range of punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment and up to $500,000 in fines. A preliminary guideline calculation estimates a term of 130 to 162 months imprisonment.
Charles Edward King, also known as "Cadillac," 32, of Idabel entered a guilty plea to criminal information charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled and dangerous substances.
This offense carries a statutory range of punishment of 10 years to life imprisonment and a $4,000,000 fine. A preliminary guideline calculation estimates a term of 108 to 135 months imprisonment.
Pierce, Green, Young, Todd and King will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending the completion of pre-sentence reports.
Henderson was released on bond pending the completion of his pre-sentencing report.
Individual sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the reports are completed and any objections thereto are resolved.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 28 August 2009 )
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