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Busted drug ring used banks and credit unions { January 25 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-54812sy0jan25,0,2919891.story?coll=dp-headlines-topnewshttp://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-54812sy0jan25,0,2919891.story?coll=dp-headlines-topnews
Agents bust multi-state drug ring
BY DAVID CHERNICKY
247-4743
January 25 2005
NORFOLK -- A regional narcotics task force working with federal agents arrested more than a dozen suspects in a multi-million dollar multi-state drug ring that used Hampton Roads as a base for distributing massive amounts of marijuana and cocaine and laundering the proceeds.
One federal officer described the Peninsula-based operation as one of the largest in terms of drug proceeds.
A court document places the total value of the cocaine, crack and marijuana the organization handled between September 1996 and Jan. 14, 2005, at more than $20 million.
The arrests began early Monday morning on the Peninsula and South Hampton Roads, Richmond, Houston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Charlotte, and Lexington, Ky., and included an educator.
Officials couldn't give an exact number of suspects arrested, but some of the local defendants were taken to the U.S. District Court in Norfolk for their initial appearance Monday afternoon.
The charges against 36 defendants are detailed in a 324-count, 267-page indictment unsealed in federal court Monday afternoon. The indictment describes each suspect's role in the distribution chain and money laundering schemes.
Four of the defendants are charged as kingpins, or operating a criminal enterprise. They are Joe Agapeto Rodriguez; Terence Lamar Johnson; Erik Leroy Miller and Charles McDonald "Big Daddy" Vickery.
Other charges include conspiracy to import marijuana and cocaine; money laundering, possession and distribution of narcotics and managing a building for storing and distributing cocaine and marijuana.
Court papers portray Vickery as a key player in the organization. In November 2000, Vickery set up a construction business in Newport News through which he laundered drug proceeds, authorities say. He paid the monthly rent on a storage unit in Hampton where drugs were kept, wired money to suppliers in Texas and arranged drug shipments via tractor-trailers and other means to Hampton Roads.
Vickery used some of the proceeds to purchase vehicles at Pomoco Auto Group. Robert Mack Darr and Pablo Mas Oquendo, the two salesmen who arranged the deals according to court papers, were also indicted.
In March 2004, Norfolk police interviewed Vickery about a man who was beaten to death. Police released Vickery and the homicide is still unsolved.
A month later in Houston, Jesus Ceballos, a middle man in the organization, called from Texas to Rodriguez to inquire "what part of Virginia" to ship the cocaine. Rodriguez replied, "The capital, Richmond," the indictment says.
At least 10 of the defendants are women, according to the indictment.
One of them, Pamela Yvette Hoffler-Riddick, is the regional assistant superintendent for Prince George's County, Md., schools and a former school administrator in Virginia Beach. Court papers say Hoffler-Riddick deposited large sums of money into banks and credit unions.
Also indicted was James Smallwood of Suffolk on charges related to drugs and money laundering .
The arrests and indictments come eight months after the Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Task Force seized $2.2 million in cash, a money counting machine, and digital scales from a storage shed in Newport News. The task force is composed of officers from Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson and Virginia State Police
As a result of the seizure and surveillance, agents arrested Aaron Levon Burton of Chesterfield under a federal complaint charging him with conspiracy to import, distribute narcotics and launder money.
The defendants and co-conspirators "would and did on a consignment and cash basis obtain, distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute in excess of 10,000 pounds of marijuana, in excess of 300 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of cocaine base, known as crack, throughout the course of the conspiracy," court papers say.
A kilogram is roughly 2.2 pounds.
U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty for the Eastern District of Virginia will provide more details about the case at a news conference in Newport News on Wednesday.
Copyright © 2005, Daily Press
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