NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Julia C. Dudley Acting 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 |
October 17, 2008
MEMBERS OF METHAMPHETAMINE DISTRIBUTION
ORGANIZATION PLEAD GUILTY
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Joyce Marie Crawford, age 66, Kenneth Odell Crawford, age 46 and Darrell Wayne Crawford, age 43, all of Elkton, Virginia, and the Rocky Mountain Corporation pled guilty today in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke to charges related to money laundering and the distribution of methamphetamine.
All three defendants, along with Vern Odell Crawford and Melissa Ann Crawford, were indicted in October 2007 and charged with multiple counts of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, money laundering and other charges.
Today in the United States District Court, Joyce Crawford, Kenneth Crawford and the Rocky Mount Corporation each pled guilty to one count of money laundering the proceeds of profits earned from the distribution of methamphetamine. Darrell Crawford pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
“It is vital that we as a law enforcement community put an end to widespread criminal enterprises such as this one,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “The men and women who investigated and prosecuted this case should be proud of the work they have done.”
According to a statement of facts submitted to the Court by Assistant United States Attorney Jeb Terrien and agreed to by the defendants, from 2000 until 2007, Vern Odell Crawford and Joyce Crawford structured financial transactions to avoid having to file currency transaction reports.
The investigation of this case determined that Rocky Mountain Corporation was created for the sole purpose of laundering the ill-gotten proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine by the defendants. An analysis of the financial activities of Vern Odell Crawford, Kenneth Crawford, Joyce Crawford and Rocky Mountain Corporation determined that deposits into various bank accounts used by these individuals exceeded the income generated from legitimate identifiable sources. From 2003-2006 alone, deposits into the bank accounts of these individuals exceeded their legitimate income by $466,821.
According to the statement of facts submitted to the Court today, to hide the illegal source of the funds, Vern, Kenneth and Joyce Crawford and Rocky Mountain Corporation dealt primarily in cashier checks. In a number of instances, Joyce and Kenneth Crawford used cash to purchase cashier’s checks made payable to Rocky Mountain Corporation, or had a third party purchase cashier checks made payable to themselves or Rocky Mount Corporation.
In terms of the drug charges, from 1999-2001 the defendants obtained approximately one-half ounce of methamphetamine approximately once per week. In 2001 the defendants began receiving one-half ounce to two ounces quantities of methamphetamine twice per month.
As the conspiracy continued, the amount of methamphetamine being brought into the organization grew. By February 2005 the defendants were bringing in approximately four ounces of methamphetamine every week.
Law Enforcement officials made a number of controlled buys from all the defendants throughout the course of the investigation.
Vern Odell Crawford is scheduled to be tried by a jury beginning October 23, 2008 in the United States District Court in Roanoke. Melissa Ann Crawford previously pled guilty.
The maximum penalty faced by Joyce Crawford is 10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty faced by Darrell Crawford is 40 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000. Not sentence dates have been scheduled.
As part of Kenneth Crawford’s plea agreement, he has agreed to a sentence of 60 months incarceration and a fine of $225,000.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the RUSH Task Force, the Harrisonburg Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, the Harrisonburg Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, and Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeb Terrien and Ron Huber are prosecuting the case for the United States.