TRACEY CHAMPION SEEING JAIL?

FILED UNDER ARIZONA POT RING, CHADWICK MYERS, RAFIQ ALBERT BROOKS

Some of the marijuana packages seized from Arizona pot ring.
Earlier this month, a federal jury in Phoenix convicted Rafiq Albert Brooks of marijuana trafficking charges, bringing a close to one of the largest criminal probes of a pot ring in Arizona. Dubbed Operation Lost Package, the 18-month investigation focused on an 11-person ring that was moving large quantities of high-grade ganja from Phoenix to multiple cities on the east coast in boxes shipped from U.S. postal offices. The suspects were of Hispanic and Jamaican descent.

According to the federal indictment, Hispanic bulk marijuana dealers supplied the dealers of Jamaican descent, who would then divvy up the weed to ship in packages. A task force made up of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Scottsdale Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service zeroed in on 31-year-old Chadwick Myers, who was shipping marijuana from his apartment in Glendale, AZ. Between April and October 2011, investigators intercepted over ten packages containing more than 100 pounds of marijuana from Meyers’ apartment and other apartments where the suspects resided.

On Nov. 17, 2011, the task force raided the Glendale apartment and arrested the 11 suspects, including Brooks and Myers. Authorities confiscated more than $11,000 in cash, two bales of marijuana in the trunk of a Chrysler sedan, and a smaller shrink-wrapped package of pot in the trunk of a Buick. Inside the apartment, the cops found 150 pounds of marijuana already individually wrapped and ready for shipment.

The probe also discovered that cash proceeds from the trafficking were structured and deposited into accounts at Chase and Wells Fargo banks in amounts ranging from $4,000 to $9,000 to further the conspiracy.

This past April 25, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 76 count superseding indictment against 11 defendants charging them with multiple crimes including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, structuring financial transactions through a domestic financial institution and promotional money laundering.

Brooks was the only member to take his chances at trial. The other 10 defendants, including Myers, pled guilty.

Here’s a list of the other defendants:

Koy Kayon Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison.
Genaro Barra-Mendoza pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to time served.
Victor Arrellano-Zuniga pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison.
Maximiliano Riviera-Landers pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2013.
Luis Alberto Gutierrez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2013.
Chelliean Latanneya Duncan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2013.
Sharon Sophi Johnson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. She is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7, 2013.
Bianca McKinney pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Sentencing date to be determined.
Kristopher Paul Stone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and structuring financial transactions through a domestic financial institution. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 19, 2013.
Renard Allistere White pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2013.