NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
May 5, 2008
CONNER SENTENCED TO 130 MONTHS FOR CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE, MONEY LAUNDERING AND TAX EVASION CHARGES
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Richie Hansford Conner, aka “Shag,” age 53, of Edinburg, Virginia, was sentenced today in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg on charges that he possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, money laundering and tax evasion.
“For several years, Mr. Conner sold drugs, laundered money and failed to pay taxes,” United States Attorney John Brownlee said today. “Today’s sentencing and corresponding forfeiture agreement, ensures that Mr. Conner will be punished for his crimes.”
Conner was sentenced to 130 months of Federal imprisonment. The defendant was charged in a September 2007 indictment and a November 2007 superceding indictment with a variety of drug, money laundering and tax evasion charges.
In December of 2007 Conner pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, one count of conspiracy to launder money and one count of criminal tax evasion. Contained in the plea agreement was Conner’s acknowledgment that he owed the United States $69,663 in taxes for the 2001 tax year.
In addition, a money judgement was leveled against Conner, ordering him to pay $5,000,000 to the United States. This monetary total will consist of $736,497 in United States currency and the profits from the sale and/or liquidation of several properties Conner agreed to forfeit to the United States.
Those properties include but are not limited to: 9175 John Marshall Highway, Lebanon, Virginia; 2441 Cave Ridge Road, Mt. Jackson, Virginia; and timber cut from certain real property located on Route 728, containing 101.306 acres of land.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office for the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia. Assistant United States Attorneys Sharon Burnham, Jeb Terrien and Bruce Pagel prosecuted the case.