Indictment: Cross-country drug traffickers stored drugs, money in Lexington houses
Twenty people have been federally indicted in a scheme that allegedly moved drugs in Los Angeles, St. Louis, Lexington, Detroit and Houston and racked up significant sums of cash.
Now the group faces federal trafficking charges and could be forced to forfeit nearly $200,000 in cash plus luxury wristwatches, gold and diamond jewelry and a half-dozen firearms, according to federal court records.
Several group members are accused of moving cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl in and out of Kentucky as part of their interstate drug running. They’re also accused of storing the drugs — and the cash they made off trafficking — at “stash houses” in Lexington.
The 20 individuals also are accused of agreeing to distribute heroin and acquire substances used to manufacture lean, which is a mixture containing codeine.
The indictment was issued in Missouri but has legal implications across multiple jurisdictions.
Darius M. McCullum was the primary supply source for the organization, according to the indictment. He’s accused of obtaining narcotics and arranging for them to be moved to Detroit and elsewhere, according to the indictment.
McCullum mailed the narcotics in parcels, according to the indictment. Eric C. Williams allegedly mailed cash proceeds from the drug business back to McCullum.
Williams also obtained narcotics for the organization and managed drug distribution to members of the group, according to the indictment. Williams allegedly maintained some of the group’s “stash houses” in Lexington and Detroit. He used the houses to store narcotics and money the group had made from their exploits, according to the indictment.
Williams also managed “couriers who transported narcotics and money for the drug trafficking organization,” the indictment stated.
Steven L. Bell, another defendant named in the indictment, managed a stash house in St. Louis.
Ashley D. Gibson maintained multiple stash houses, including one in Lexington, where she stored meth and cash, according to the indictment.
The organization’s couriers included Montash L. Jackson, Miranda N. Jones and Jasmine C. Taylor, according to the indictment. Kamauri S. Kennedy also allegedly worked as a courier and distributor.
Deson B. Jones, John E. Mallott and Irma Jara worked as distributors for the trafficking organization, according to the indictment. Santana L. Ball also allegedly acted as a distributor and supplier for the group.
Others named in the indictment included Lethem Thompson-Bey, Demarko C. Cody, Michael H. Mason, Cornelius Spearman, Timothy D. Hill, Adam M. Fleck, Haley B. Mason and Savannah A. Sims.
The indictment alleges that there are specific examples from February to August of group members attempting to distribute or transport drugs and cash from the enterprise. Members, for instance, allegedly made trips to and from Houston.
In another example, Haley Mason attempted to transport money from the drug distribution from Lexington to Los Angeles under the direction of Gibson and Williams, according to the indictment.
In another example, Miranda Jones allegedly transported meth, heroin and a substance used to make a codeine mixture from Michigan to Kentucky.
There are also examples of group members using firearms in furtherance of their drug crimes, according to the indictment.
McCullum, Williams, Kennedy, Bell, Gibson, Jackson, Ball, Cody, Taylor, Mallott, Spearman, Jara, Haley Mason, Michael Mason, Deson Jones and Miranda Jones were charged with conspiracy to distribute the drugs.
Bell was additionally charged with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating and interfering with a DEA special agent and using a dangerous weapon to do so, according to the indictment. Bell also allegedly possessed 500 grams or more of a mixture containing meth, according to the indictment.
Bell was also accused of using a firearm in furtherance of his distribution efforts. He’s been previously convicted of other crimes and can’t possess firearms, according to the indictment.
Thompson-Bey was also charged with conspiring to use firearms as part of the trafficking efforts.
If convicted, the group will have to give up several lump sums of cash totaling more than $180,000. They’ll also have to forfeit a gold Santos de Cartier watch, an Audemars Piguet watch, two gold diamond pendants and two gold diamond necklaces.
They’ll have to forfeit several guns, including an AR-15, a Polymer80 pistol, a Glock 24 pistol, Beretta BU9 Nano 9mm pistol, an AR rifle, an AR pistol and assorted magazines and ammunition.
Although the indictment was filed against the 20 individuals in Missouri earlier this month, documents were filed in Lexington federal court Wednesday for individuals facing charges in Kentucky.
This story was originally published November 18, 2021 at 9:55 AM.