Drug Charges

November 26, 2012

Former Head of Detroit Police Department Homicide Division Facing Multiple Charges

William Rice, once the head of the homicide division of the Detroit Police Department, recently appeared in court facing allegations of drug dealing and possession, mortgage fraud, operating a criminal enterprise and more. Detroit residents are no doubt used to hearing the words Detroit and corruption together, certainly more often than they would like.

According to news reports, William Rice was engaged in criminal activity while working for the Detroit Police Department headquarters located on Beaubien. Rice went before Wayne County’s 36th District Judge William C. McConico November 20th. In the courtroom, testimony was given by the director of the State Police Crime Lab in Northville, Jurgen Switalski, who claimed he identified or tested over 100 pills which were allegedly confiscated during the investigation of Rice. Some of the drugs reportedly identified include generic Xanax, hydrocodone and those containing codeine.

In February of this year, charges were brought against Rice and his girlfriend, Cheryl Sanford, by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Deed Fraud Unit, claiming that the duo operated a criminal enterprise between 2006 and 2011. The two were facing a total of 16 criminal charges at that time, some of those mentioned above along with giving false information in order to obtain federal funds for mortgage. In June, the two went before a judge to determine if they would stand trial for mortgage fraud.

The next hearing for Rice is scheduled for December 4 at 11 a.m. According to Tiffany McEvans, Rice’s defense attorney, the defense team will recall two witnesses for the prosecution to the stand for testimony, a Detroit state trooper and Special Agent at US Housing and Urban Development, Matthew Nutt.

Due to all of the recent publicity, Rice’s name came up regarding case files that have allegedly been lost during his tenure with the Detroit Police Department; one case in particular is that of Arthur Bell, a man who claims he did not commit the murder he was convicted of. Bell said that when requesting his case file he was told that the file was lost. Attorneys claim that this was a frequent occurrence when Rice was in charge.

Michigan criminal defense lawyers know that if convicted on the multiple charges leveled against him, Rice will likely face years or even life in prison.

November 21, 2012

Houghton County Man Gets Two to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Meth Lab

by Scott Grabel

In August of this year, 22-year-old Curtis Stough was arraigned on charges of operating a meth lab and attempted manufacturing of methamphetamine in Houghton County Circuit Court. Stough, a resident of Marquette, pleaded not guilty. He and 3 others were suspected of running a meth lab in Chassell, which was closed down in late June by police. If convicted, Stough would potentially face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and possibly a $25,000 fine.

At a pretrial hearing in October, Stough pled guilty to the charge of attempted manufacturing of a controlled substance. On Monday November 19, Stough was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, with a maximum of 10 years. The judge in the case credited Stough with the 116 days he had already served, and charges of possession of methamphetamine and operating/maintaining a meth lab were dropped.

The three others who were involved include 21-year-old Kendall Clifton of Hancock, 25-year-old Nicole Saatio of Chassell, and 26-year-old Michael Newberry also of Chassell. Clifton entered a plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against the other three involved in the meth operation, pleading guilty to attempted possession of meth. According to news reports, Clifton was given a one year jail sentence in September.

Nicole Saatio will face a pretrial hearing in January, and is said to be undergoing treatment in Saginaw currently. December is when Michael Newberry will stand trial.

Curtis Stough stated at his sentencing that he is “determined to make a substantial change when it comes to my addiction and disregard for the law.” He urged Judge Charles Goodman to let him serve in prison boot camp, something usually not allowed in the first year, and said that he guaranteed this would be his first and last felony.

November 19, 2012

Ninth Member of Detroit’s ‘Hustle Boys’ Gang Found Guilty of Drug Trafficking

by Scott Grabel

In December of 2011, ten members of a violent Detroit gang known as the ‘Hustle Boys’ were indicted by a grand jury, eight of them arrested. The gang had been under investigation by federal agents and other police agencies for a lengthy time period, according to news reports which state the gang had been into drug trafficking. Marijuana and Oxycontin were some of the illegal substances said to have been sold and distributed by the gang members.

On Wednesday, November 14, a ninth member pleaded guilty. 21-year-old Jeron Gaskin of Detroit was convicted in federal court on three counts of drug trafficking. Allegedly, the Hustle Boys gang was sometimes trading drugs for guns; some of the drugs they would exchange for firearms included pain pills such as Opana and Oxycontin. They were also accused of running prescription drugs across state lines into Ohio and West Virginia, where they would sell the narcotics in fast food restaurant parking lots.

Investigators claim the gang operated the drug trafficking business in homes and hotel rooms in all three states. The gang also allegedly stored firearms and cash in an east side Detroit home located on Hamburg Street, where they counted and packaged the prescription pills.

Only the 10th suspect, William Beal, still faces trial on the drug charges. According to the FBI, the remaining eight co-defendants all pleaded guilty to the charges earlier. They include Darrell Ewing, Ashley Sallad, Mark Davis, Deonte Morris, Delmerey Morris, Pinkie Lewis, Randi Fortner and William Crews.

Detroit drug trafficking attorneys know that individuals who are convicted on these serious criminal charges often face life-changing consequences. Depending upon the type and amount of drug involved, penalties range from a few years in prison and substantial fines to life imprisonment and fines of up to a million dollars.

November 7, 2012

Ishpeming Man Arrested in May Meth Bust Sentenced

by Scott Grabel

In late May, 29-year-old Robert Thurman Fields and his wife, 30-year-old Nickolena Margaret Fields were arrested and taken into custody after police obtained a search warrant and found several components of a meth lab along with a small amount of what they suspected to be methamphetamine. The two suspects were living in a rented apartment in Ishpeming.

Several operations were involved in the search conducted at 129 W. Superior Street, including UPSET (Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team), Ishpeming Police and Michigan State Police. Both suspects were placed in the Marquette County Jail after being taken into custody. Fields was charged with two counts of controlled substance and operating or maintaining laboratory involving meth; his wife was charged with one count on the same offense.

In October Fields pled guilty to delivery and manufacturing of methamphetamine as part of a plea agreement. News reports made no mention of Field’s wife, but did say that he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison along with a $25,000 fine.

On November 2, Robert Fields was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by Marquette County Judge Thomas Solka, and given credit for time served. He has one year remaining on his sentence. The judge in the case did say that in handing out the sentence, the court must consider the reformation of Fields, the needs of the community and deterring other individuals who may be engaging in behavior similar to that of the Fields.

Michigan drug defense lawyers know that the sentence for Mr. Fields could have been much harsher. While it is not mentioned if he is required to pay a fine, spending 18 months in prison versus 20 years is a substantial difference.

October 31, 2012

Michigan Man Sentenced in Cocaine Killing in Colorado

by Scott Grabel

Enrique Amaya, a 31-year-old Pontiac man, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder by Detroit federal judge Paul Borman. Amaya was found guilty of the charges in June, after allegedly hiring a hit man to kill a man in Colorado so that he could avoid paying a cocaine debt of $400,000.

The judge also sentenced two other men involved in the case, 33-year-old Jesus Medina-Meraz of Sheridan, CO and alleged hit man 30-year-old Franklin Sierra-Rodriguez. Both pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy. Rodriguez was sentenced to 40 years in prison, Meraz to 32 years behind bars.

According to Barbara McQuade, Detroit U.S. Attorney, Amaya received large shipments of cocaine from Colorado. McQuade alleged that Amaya hired Sierra-Rodriguez to kill the Littleton, CO supplier Joaquin Lucero-Carrillo in his apartment in June of 2010.

News reports claim that at the time of the shooting, several witnesses were present. Colorado detectives were led to the metro Detroit area after investigations began, where Amaya’s drug dealings were being investigated by the U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). The two agencies then worked in unison to piece together evidence and identify additional suspects. Investigations ultimately revealed that Sierra-Rodriguez had been hired by Amaya and his co-conspirator Medina-Meraz to kill the victim in order to wipe out the $400,000 cocaine debt.

Three other individuals pleaded guilty for their involvement in the murder-for-hire plot, and are awaiting sentencing. The three men were identified in news reports as 24-year-old Jose Alejandro Villalon-Espinoza of Pontiac, 27-year-old Rafael Maravillas, also of Pontiac, and 25-year-old Franklin Baquedano of Waterford.

When an individual is sentenced to life behind bars, his or her life is essentially over. Even being sentenced to many years in prison affects your future, career, relationships – every aspect of your life. A seasoned Michigan murder defense attorney will work aggressively to protect the legal rights and freedom of his client.

October 16, 2012

Detroit Police Inadvertently ‘Stumble’ Upon Large Marijuana Growing Operation

by Scott Grabel

On Thursday October 11, the Detroit Police Gang Squad noticed a man acting suspiciously as they were patrolling a school near Linwood at the Lodge. The man, who had been walking when the gang squad spotted him, took off running. According to news reports, police then chased the man to a home on Wildemere, where they allegedly discovered a major marijuana growing operation.

Detroit Police Inspector Don Johnson said that officers found a substantial amount of cocaine and heroin inside the home, as well as more than 100 marijuana plants. The drugs’ street value was determined to be about $150,000 according to Johnson.

Stephanie Davis, a news reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950’s, was able to go inside the house as she was reporting the news story. Davis said that she spotted a book titled “The Cannabis Breeder’s Bible,” and that there were areas in the home with special lighting for growing the marijuana plants in various stages.

Johnson also stated that community involvement is important, and that neighbors in the area must have known what was going on at the residence. Johnson said, “I’ve had several individuals walk up and down the street as our officers are here, just trying to see what we’re doing, and they know that his house is here.”

At least one man was arrested at the abandoned residence on Thursday afternoon. As the scene was unfolding, a woman walking by the home told reporters that she saw a police vehicle, and that she did not know what was happening although she claimed to be the girlfriend of the man arrested.

Police allege that the tenants of the abandoned home were “squatting,” and that diverted stolen electricity was being used in the makeshift growing operation. The home was tidy with one bedroom being filled with several children’s toys and other personal belongings, according to Johnson. There was also allegedly a caged pit bull in the living room of the home.

A proposal on the ballot which will be voted on by Detroit voters this November would allow Detroit residents over the age of 21 to legally possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana for personal use. Johnson did not comment on the proposal.

Michigan drug crime lawyers know the serious consequences those convicted on charges of drug cultivation and manufacturing face. Substantial fines, jail time and a permanent criminal record are a few of the penalties those convicted may be subject to.

September 27, 2012

Former Pontiac City Councilman Everett Seay Faces Multiple Drug, Bribery Charges

by Scott Grabel

Everett Seay, a 61-year-old former Pontiac city councilman, was recently charged with several counts including those for drug related offenses, bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery and aiding and abetting. Seay was still in office when several of these offenses allegedly occurred.

According to news reports, Seay was helping an alleged drug dealer set up a money-laundering business by pocketing money for what ultimately turned out to be a fake shipment of cocaine. Seay reportedly pocketed about $40,000 in bribes. As it turns out, the individual Seay thought to be a drug dealer was an undercover FBI agent who identified himself to Seay as “J.B.”

Two other men were also charged in the indictment. Roscoe Johnson, one of Seay’s associates from Detroit, and Richard Clanagan, Seay’s political advisor and friend, were charged. News reports allege that Clanagan, 69, and Johnson, 45, helped Seay in the process of soliciting and accepting money from a businessman who they believed was interested in devising a money-handling operation in Pontiac.

In the course of conversations, Seay learned that the businessman (FBI agent) was a drug dealer, and that “J.B.” desired to launder his drug proceeds by establishing a business in Pontiac, according to court documents. Seay helped the businessman in transporting 16 kilograms of what the government purported to be “fake” cocaine, although at the time Seay believed it to be authentic. He received $15,000 for helping in the transport of the shipment, and about $25,000 for getting the Pontiac business approved by the City Council.

Seay now faces a possible life sentence if convicted on drug charges, along with fines of as much as $250,000 and 10 years in prison on bribery charges.