News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2003
25
CHARGED WITH METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING AND LAUNDERING METH MONEY
U.S.
seek forfeiture of millions of dollars and luxury homes
OCT
9(Houston, TX) - DEA Special Agent in Charge Kevin C. Whaley
and United States Attorney Michael Shelby announced today the unsealing
of a 14 count indictment charging a total of twenty-five (25) Houston
area and Austin, Texas residents with conspiring to posses with intent
to distribute marijuana and methamphetamine beginning in mid-1998, and
laundering the money generated from their illegal activity. The indictment,
returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Houston on October 6, 2003,
also seeks to forfeit from the defendants no less than $2 million dollars
in cash and assets from three Houston area residences. The residences
are allegedly property obtained with the monies generated through drug
trafficking or used to further the illegal activity.
"To
halt the distribution of drugs in our community requires not only prosecuting
the traffickers but also seizing their profits, including property and
cash," said U. S. Attorney Shelby. "Today's indictment seeks
to do both."
Early
this morning, arrest teams comprised of representatives of a number of
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with assistance from
the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and the Temple, Texas Task Force,
arrested 21 of the 25 defendants in the Houston area with one arrest taking
place in Austin, Texas. Some of the defendants made an initial appearance
in federal court today. Those not having made their appearance today will
appear before U. S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy on Thursday, October
9 at 10:00 a.m. The United States has asked the court to hold all defendants
arrested in the Houston area in federal custody pending detention hearings
later this week beginning Friday, October 10, 2003 at 10:00 a.m.
"Today,
we have witnessed the successful results of a joint and cooperative law
enforcement effort to crack down on illegal drug trafficking in the Houston
and Austin, Texas area," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Kevin Whaley.
"Drug traffickers continue to plague our communities, however, in
partnership with state and local law enforcement, the Drug Enforcement
Administration will continue its efforts to identify and bring to justice
those who threaten our communities."
Arrested
today in the Houston or the surrounding area (as indicated) were: Justin
Keith Jones, a.k.a. "Fat Boy", a.k.a. Baby Huey, a.k.a. "J",
25, 3406 Shadow Bluff Court; David James Martinez, 23, 5030 Ridgehaven;
Joaquin A. Jimenez, Jr., 25, 2400 Briarwest; Corey Austin Schulz, a.k.a.
"Chopper", 23, 14935 S. Richmond; Gordon Lockwood Atkins, III,
28, 16272 Great Glen; Mark Wade Staples, 18, 11414 Inwood; Carey Ingram,
a.k.a. "Drez", 31, 2020 Bentworth Dr.; Allen Stephen Jacobs,
Jr., 23, 2210 W. Dallas; Alexander Wade Sanchez, 36, 3406 Shadow Bluff
Court; Tracy Merguzhis Schlanker, 35, of 16918 Rippling Mill Dr., Sugar
Land, Tx; Antoine Deshawn Mann, 26, 8600 Woodway; Donnell Alexander Mann,
28, 2501 Lazy Hollow; Todd Douglas Craig, 32, 2003 S. Berlin, Brenhan,
TX.; Lauren Ann Troublefield, 20, 1422 N. Yegua River, Sugar Land, TX;
Elisha Ann Dugger, 21, 3214 Settlers Way, Sugar Land, TX; Travis Paul
McDonald, 25, 161 Barbarossa; Terry Lynn LaFountain, 22, 1910 Westmead;
Grant Nicholas Jones, 23, 16310 La Gloria; and Quyen Chi Ly, 36, 11311
Ashford Point.
Jacob
Norman Mayo, a.k.a. "Stormy", 25, 8527 North Capital of Texas
Hwy., Austin, Texas, was arrested in Austin. James Wilson Bryant, 27,
is presently in state custody, and will be served with the arrest warrant.
Warrants
remain outstanding for the arrest of four others: Simon Ly, a.k.a. Sam
Chi Ly, 30, 10118 Altonbury, the lead defendant, and Jim Bob Wilkin, 33,
1031 Golden Nugget, Katy, TX; Gerald Patrick Raifford, Jr., 21, 14935
S. Richmond, Houston; and William Luis Maggard, 25, 2702 Colony Dr., Sugar
Land, TX.
The
indictment alleges that Simon Ly, Justin Keith Jones, David Martinez,
Joaquin Jimenez, Jr.; Corey Schulz, Wilkin, Mayo, Raifford, Atkins, Staples,
Ingram, Jacobs, Sanchez, Schlanker, Maggard, Antoine Mann, Donnell Mann,
Bryant, Craig, Troublefield, Dugger, McDonald and LaFountain were all
involved in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more
than 50 grams of methamphetamine and kilogram quantities of marijuana
over the course of the last 5 years.
Methamphetamine
is a synthetic central nervous system stimulant that is classified as
a Schedule II controlled substance. It is widely abused throughout the
United States and distributed under the names of "Crystal" and
"Speed". Is it commonly powder in form, but is also distributed
in tablets or crystal "ice" form. Ice is a very pure, smokable
form of methamphetamine that is more addictive than other forms of the
substance. When smoked, it may cause severe paranoid delusions, and hallucinations.
Several
of these defendants are specifically named in separate charges of possessing
with the intent to distribute varying quantities of methamphetamine in
separate instances allegedly occurring between January and July 2003.
Based
upon their alleged involvement in the drug trafficking activity, the indictment
also notifies these defendants of the intent of the United States to forfeit
each defendant's interest in no less than $1 million in cash and three
residences located at 3406 Shadow Bluff Court, 10118 Altonbury Lane, both
in Houston, Harris County, and 11311 Ashford Point Drive located in Sugar
Land, Fort Bend County, Texas. The indictment alleges this property was
obtained with proceeds of the drug trafficking activity or was used to
further the activity.
Justin
Keith Jones, Alexander Wade Sanchez, Travis Paul McDonald and Grant Nicholas
Jones are also charged with conspiracy to launder money generated by the
trafficking activity. Specially, the indictment accuses these defendants
of collecting the proceeds generated through the sale of controlled substances,
delivering the proceeds to co-conspirators, depositing the proceeds into
bank accounts, and using the proceeds to pay for goods and services, including
cars and cellular telephones, and purchasing real estate.
Simon
Ly and Quyen Chi Ly are also charged with laundering drug proceeds. Both
men are accused of engaging in two separate transactions involving more
than $10,000 in drug proceeds in January 2003. If convicted, each defendant
faces a maximum of ten years in prison, without parole, and a $250,000
fine.
Based
upon their alleged involvement in the money laundering activity, the indictment
also notifies Justin Jones, Sanchez, McDonald and Grant Jones of the intent
of the United States to forfeit each of their interest in no less than
$1 million in cash alleged laundered during the course of criminal activity.
The indictment also seeks the $25,000 allegedly laundered by Simon and
Quyen Ly.
If convicted
of the drug trafficking conspiracy, a defendant faces a maximum punishment
of no less than 10 or no more than life imprisonment, and a $4 million
fine. The money laundering conspiracy charges carries a maximum punishment
of 20 years in prison, without parole, and a fine of either $500,000 or
twice the amount of the transaction, whichever is greater, upon conviction.
The
indictment is the result of an 18 month Organized Crime Drug Enforcement
Task Force (OCDETF) investigation involving the efforts of several federal,
state and local law enforcement agencies including a High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) group within the Drug Enforcement
Administration, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United
States Marshal's Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States
Postal Service, the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement, the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Texas Department
of Public Safety, the Harris County Sheriff's Department and the Houston
Police Department.
An
indictment is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants
are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of
law.
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