Two more Houston residents were sentenced to federal prison on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017, for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy resulting in the seizure of $1.2 million dollars in cash, $72,000 in jewelry, and several kilos of cocaine.
United States Attorney Donald S. Boyce announced the sentence for the Southern District of Illinois. Defendant Nahum Shibeshi, 29, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, four years of supervised release, a $1500 fine, and a $200 special assessment. Dana Bell, 51, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, a $750 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
An indictment filed on Feb. 18, 2016, charged Shibeshi and Bell as drug couriers who transported drugs for other suppliers. The indictment charged eight co-defendants for participating in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of cocaine into the Southern District of Illinois from Texas. In addition to the drug crimes, the indictment sought forfeiture of $1,212,934 in U.S. currency seized on December 2 and 3, 2015, along with jewelry appraised at $72,000.
Earlier this summer, co-defendants Sammy Monroe and Rodney Smith were sentenced to prison for 168 months and 147 months, respectively, after it was determined that they were responsible for trafficking approximately 120 kilos of cocaine into Southern Illinois.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
