Pair Sentenced This Week Were Part of 32-Member Conspiracy
Abingdon, VIRGINIA - Two defendants involved in a conspiracy that generated at least $1 million in drug proceeds by trafficking methamphetamine, oxycodone, and suboxone from Las Vegas to Southwest Virginia were sentenced in recent days in U.S. District Court in Abingdon, the United States Attorney’s Office announced.
Tracy Allen Callihan, 49, of Glade Spring, Va., was sentenced Tuesday, April 17 to 324 months imprisonment. Callihan was previously found guilty by a jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and oxycodone, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Callihan was also ordered to forfeit $30,000 in proceeds from his criminal activity. On April 12, Steven Cino, 52, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced to 292 months imprisonment and ordered to pay a money judgment of $251,633. Cino previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, methamphetamine and suboxone and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Cino and Callihan are the latest defendants to be sentenced as part of Operation Leaving Las Vegas, a multi-agency investigation that began in 2014 and resulted in charges against 32 individuals for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, oxycodone and suboxone in Southwest Virginia, Nevada, Eastern Kentucky, and elsewhere.
According to evidence presented at previous hearings by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, members of the conspiracy sent crystal methamphetamine and oxycodone via FedEx and the United States Postal Service from Las Vegas to various individuals in Abingdon and Eastern Kentucky. Upon receipt, the drugs were redistributed. Investigators were able to identify and charge not only those who received the drugs locally but also the source of the substances in Nevada.
The proceeds from the conspiracy, which investigators found to be at least $1,000,000, were routinely transferred from Abingdon to Las Vegas using bank accounts in the names of drug suppliers who lived in Las Vegas. Funds were also transferred between Abingdon and Las Vegas using Western Union and MoneyGram services.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, United States Marshals Service, Virginia State Police, Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Abingdon Police Department, Marion Police Department, and Smyth County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee will prosecute the case for the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
