COLUMBUS, Ohio - Rashod D. Todd, 28, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Christopher White, Assistant Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to court documents, between 2012 and November 2015, Rashod Todd, Dajaun Brooks, Jordon Herring and Stephvon Covington conspired to possess and distribute Oxycodone from Las Vegas to Columbus, as well as conspiring to commit money laundering by concealing the source of the proceeds from the narcotics trafficking.
Todd obtained bulk amounts of Oxycodone from middle men. The Oxycodone was then transported and sold in Columbus for profit on the street to drug users. Todd frequently directed other members of the conspiracy to conceal the Oxycodone and cash inside containers before they were shipped through the U.S. mail. Additionally, on numerous occasions, Todd personally carried Oxycodone on commercial airline flights between Las Vegas and Columbus where the Oxycodone was distributed on the streets of Columbus through a network of individuals at Todd’s direction.
Todd attempted to conceal his illicit proceeds by depositing money into the bank accounts of other individuals. These cash deposits funded the purchase of airline tickets that enabled couriers to transport Oxycodone to Columbus and to transport bulk amounts of cash back to Todd in Las Vegas.
Todd pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
On March 16, 2016 Danny R. Williams, 29, and Sukita M. Williams, 43, both of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone and conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, since November 2012, the pair went to physicians to obtain fraudulent prescriptions and either arranged for others to do the same or used middlemen to obtain Oxycodone. Once they obtained bulk amounts of the drug, the pills were transported to Columbus via the mail or on commercial airlines to be sold on the street to drug users. In addition, the couple attempted to conceal their illicit proceeds by depositing money into bank accounts of other individuals.
On May 4, 2016 Joquline D. Harris, 28, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. A sentencing date has not been set.
Harris conducted financial transactions to funnel the proceeds of the illegal distribution of Oxycodone through two separate Ohio bank accounts opened by Sukita Williams, to bank accounts owned by Sukita Williams in Las Vegas. Harris further utilized the monies contained in these bank accounts and other illicit drug proceeds from Sukita Williams to purchase airline tickets for members of the drug trafficking organization to facilitate the transporting of Oxycodone and drug proceeds between Las Vegas and Columbus. In addition, Harris also utilized these illegal proceeds to make vehicle payments to a financial institution in Ohio for a vehicle that Sukita Williams operated in furtherance of drug and money laundering conspiracy.
On April 19, 2016, Dontonyo Courtney, 21, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone. A sentencing date has not been set.
Also, today, Alfred David James, Sr., 35, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone. A sentencing date has not been set.
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations," said Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, IRS, USPIS and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), as well as OCDETF Chief Michael J. Hunter, who is representing the United States in this case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
