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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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May 15, 2014 at 1:00 am
Detroit gang builds heroin export market
Nolan Finley
3 Comments
‘Imported from Detroit’ means something more to the people of West Virginia than just a clever marketing slogan designed to boost car sales.
To the citizens of Charleston and Huntington, what’s coming down the line from Detroit is murder and mayhem. Those communities and others in the Appalachian region are the favorite markets of the Detroit gang Seven Mile Bloods, which services them with a direct pipeline of drugs from the Motor City.
It started out a decade or two ago with crack cocaine, then moved to black market prescription pills, and now it’s heroin. And that has brought a spike in violence, including a recent homicide, says Charleston Police Lt. Stephen Cooper.
“We have some low-level Detroit gang members who aren’t real bright engaging with some of the locals,” says Cooper.
A local affiliate of the Detroit gang even put a contract on Cooper’s life for turning up the heat — “It was just $15,000 — I was a little insulted,” he says.
Huntington, Youngstown, Ohio and Lexington, Ky., are also reporting increases in crime tied to Detroit. Earlier this year, eight Detroit gang members were arraigned on drug trafficking charges in Lexington.
Huntington has earned the nickname Little Detroit for the number of Motor City gang members who have settled in the community. Two years ago, Hurricane Cane, a Detroit rapper of short-lived fame — his lone album, “Get Yo A_ _ Gone,” featuring the single Slap Those Hos, went gold — was arrested there for selling dope to raise money for a comeback.
“It’s a steady stream,” says Cooper, who works closely with Detroit police in serving warrants and tracking down suspects. The detective attributes about a quarter of the violent crime this year in Charleston to the Detroit gang and its local off-shoot.
Andy Arena, director of the Detroit Crime Commission and former head of the FBI office here, says the Seven Mile Bloods is a major drug gang, organized like a business and exploiting an opportunity. It has a number of subsidiaries, and together they’ve made Detroit a multi-state heroin hub.
The demand for drugs in the parts of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia where the gang has spread its tentacles is much higher than the supply. So $10,000 worth of heroin purchased in Detroit can fetch $50,000 when taken on the road.
“They’re businessmen out to make money,” Arena says.
Both federal and local law enforcement agencies have targeted the Seven Mile Bloods, which Arena believes is an independent outfit not affiliated with similarly named gangs in Chicago and Los Angeles. And it has a looser hierarchy.
“There’s less structure,” Arena says. “That makes it difficult to target the leadership. It’s always merging and morphing.”
Despite the headaches Detroit gang members are causing his otherwise peaceful community, Cooper harbors no resentment for their hometown.
“Detroit can’t help what comes in and out,” he says. “As long as there’s a demand, there will be drug traffic.”
Still, I’m not sure heroin is what the state wants to bring to mind with its Pure Michigan ads.
nfinley@detroitnews.com
(313)222-2064
Follow Nolan Finley at detroitnews.com/finley, on Twitter at nolanfinleydn, on Facebook at nolanfinleydetnews and watch him at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays on “MiWeek” on Detroit Public TV, Channel 56.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140515/OPINION01/305150003#ixzz31mWkhGpN |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:15 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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May 15, 2014 at 1:00 am
Photos offer candid look at riches of Metro Detroit's fez-wearing fugitives
Robert Snell
The Detroit News
Drug dealers Earnest Proge, Carlos Powell and his brother Eric Powell disappeared before a jury returned guilty verdicts Monday in one of the biggest drug cases in Metro Detroit history. Evidence photos obtained by The News hints at resources the men might have at their disposal to bankroll a prolonged flight from justice. (David Coates / The Detroit News)
1 / 12
Detroit — Photos of guns, drugs, millions of dollars in cash and luxury cars offer a peek inside the world of three fugitive, fez-wearing drug dealers and hint at resources that could bankroll a prolonged flight from justice.
The Detroit News obtained dozens of photos taken by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents during a years-long investigation of Macomb County resident Carlos Powell’s drug ring.
The case has drawn interest because the drug ring was one of the most prolific, and profitable, in Metro Detroit history. Carlos Powell’s operation generated tens of millions of dollars and was responsible for importing hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana from Mexico, prosecutors said.
The fezzes worn by the drug dealers each day of the trial added a curious twist.
The photos obtained by The News illustrate the $21 million seized during the investigation, along with $800,000 worth of jewelry and 10 vehicles, including a 2004 Rolls Royce, two Bentleys, a 2006 Ferrari, a Mercedes-Benz, a Ranger Rover and two boats.
Powell, his brother Eric and friend Earnest Proge are fugitives being hunted by federal agents.
The three men were on trial in federal court and fled before a jury returned guilty verdicts Monday. They face up to life in prison and $10 million fines.
Most of the money and other evidence shown in photos were seized during a six-month period in 2010 and led to an indictment against 13 people.
The drug ring arranged for large amounts of cash from drug sales to be hauled to Phoenix, Mexico and elsewhere to buy more drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The drugs were distributed in semi-trailers and vehicles customized with hidden compartments for marijuana, cocaine, heroin and cash, prosecutors said.
The 66 pounds of heroin seized by drug agents roughly equaled a quarter of the heroin seized by the DEA in 2010 in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.
The U.S. Marshals Service has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of each man. Anyone with information may call (313) 234-5656.
rsnell@detroitnews.com
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140515/METRO01/305150039#ixzz31mbBNNq5 |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:33 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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2013 WL 1876761
www.volokh.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/UnitedStatesvPowell.pdf - Cached - Similar pages
trafficking ring in Detroit and, among other things, imported large quantities of ... ( 1) making a preliminary finding that defendants Carlos Powell and. Eric Powell ...
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12 People Indicted in Large Scale Drug and Money Laundering Case
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2 days ago ... By Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press Staff Writer 7:52 p.m. EDT May 12, ... Wanted are the two ringleaders: Carlos Powell, 39, of Washington ...
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2 days ago ... Drug kingpin Carlos Powell of Washington Township, his brother, Eric Powell of Franklin, and friend Earnest Proge of Detroit, who were free on ... |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:37 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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2013 WL 1876761
www.volokh.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/UnitedStatesvPowell.pdf - Cached - Similar pages
trafficking ring in Detroit and, among other things, imported large quantities of ... ( 1) making a preliminary finding that defendants Carlos Powell and. Eric Powell ...
A legal discussion on the validity of warrantless searches using GPS trackers and smart phones. |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:41 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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12 People Indicted In Large Scale Drug And Money Laundering Case
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFebruary 1, 2012
Twelve individuals have been charged in an indictment with violating various federal drug laws which include conspiracy to distribute in excess of 30 kilograms of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, 1000 pounds of marijuana and laundering in excess of $21 million in U.S. currency, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade. Ms. McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Robert L. Corso, Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent In Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit.
Indicted were Carlos Ellis Powell, 37 of Washington Township, MI, Eric Jerome Powell, 34 of Franklin Farms, MI, Ignacio Avalos, 21 of Phoenix, AZ, Kenneth Robert Daniels, 53 of Detroit, MI, Earnest Lee Proge, Jr., 36 of Detroit, MI, Tobias John Proge, 28 of Clinton Township, MI, Dwayne Rnay Taylor, 35 of Detroit, MI, Tamika Olivia Turner, 34 of Eastpointe, MI, Juan Valle, 59 of Coldwater, MI, Margarita Lopez DeVallejo, 39 of LaHabla, CA, Benny Bernard Whigham, 34 of Detroit and Donald Lee Wilson, 49 of Parkland, FL.
The indictment, which was returned on January 25, 2012 and unsealed today, alleges that beginning in 2006 and continuing to the present, Carlos Powell, Eric Powell and ten others operated a drug organization which dealt in multi-kilogram quantities of marijuana, heroin and cocaine in the Detroit metropolitan area. The members of the organization would arrange for large amounts of money derived from the sale of drugs to be transported to Phoenix, Arizona, Mexico and elsewhere for the purpose of purchasing more controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, the members of the organization would use semi-trucks and vehicles equipped with traps and hidden compartments to transport marijuana, cocaine and heroin, as well as cash generated from the sale of these drugs.
Since 2006, law enforcement officers from across the country have seized over 12 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of heroin and 1000 pounds of marijuana destined for distribution by this organization. More than $21 million in cash was seized by law enforcement officers between June 2010 and November 2010. The members of this organization, using the illegal proceeds of their narcotic sales, purchased and leased numerous luxury vehicles, acquired and sold real property and purchased jewelry while concealing the true source and nature of the funds involved in the transaction through false names and nominee purchasers.
It is alleged that members of the organization would deposit large amounts of cash derived from the sale of drugs into various bank accounts; purchase cashier's checks and money orders; and wire transfer these funds. These funds would then be used to purchase assets and pay personal expenses with the goal of concealing the true source, nature and ownership of the funds which had been derived from the organization's drug sales.
"We are focused on dismantling major drug trafficking organizations that bring illegal drugs into our community," McQuade said. "We want young people to see that the lucrative rewards from drug trafficking are short-lived and lead to criminal charges."
DEA Special Agent in Charge Robert Corso stated, "These indictments dismantled a large drug trafficking organization that supplied heroin, cocaine and marijuana into communities across Michigan. The scope of this investigation is exemplified by the millions of dollars in illegal drug profits they laundered, as well as by the large quantities of drugs that were seized. The seizure of more than 20 kilos of heroin from one group operating in Michigan is significant. This should serve as clear evidence that the growing opiate/heroin abuse problem in SE Michigan is real, and is being addressed. An investigation of this size could not be accomplished without the collaborative efforts of all our law enforcement partners, and they should all be commended."
IRS Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez stated, “"These drug organizations that make their money while poisoning our children and destroying our neighborhoods will be thoroughly investigated. IRS will ruin their ability to make money on our streets".
"Thwarting today's criminal organizations requires the collective expertise, diverse statutory authorities, and jurisdiction of many agencies and departments," said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Detroit "This case is a perfect example of the power of collaboration and its impact on public safety here in Detroit."
The indictment also seeks criminal forfeiture of jewelry appraised at over $800,000, 8 pieces of real property in Michigan and Georgia valued in excess of $750,000, 10 vehicles, including a 2004 Rolls Royce, 2006 and 2008 Bentley, a 2006 Ferrari, 4 Mercedes, a Ranger Rover and two boats.
This case was investigation by special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of officers from Northville Township Police Department, Plymouth Township Police Department, Warren Police Department, Redford Police Department, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:43 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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3 drug dealers flee custody just before guilty verdict
9:00 PM, May 12, 2014 | 64 Comments
By Tresa Baldas
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer
On paper, federal prosecutors labeled Eric Powell a large-scale drug trafficker who had access to loads of cash and a lengthy criminal background — and couldn’t be trusted not to flee.
Still, Powell’s bond was set at $10,000 unsecured, which meant he had to cough up only 10%. And he was placed on house arrest.
But Powell got away.
On Monday, shortly before a federal jury delivered multiple guilty verdicts in one of the largest drug cases in metro Detroit history, Powell, his brother and a third codefendant disappeared, triggering a manhunt for three convicts in a case involving $21 million in laundered money and massive amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said local bail bondsman Matt Maddock, who scoffed at the $10,000 unsecured bond. “Any unsecured bond — in my opinion — is preposterous. There’s nothing holding that person accountable to appear in court.”
Joshua Marquis, a longtime member of the Board of Directors for the National District Attorneys Association, said he was stunned by the bond set in a drug case of this magnitude.
“What? That is a remarkably low bail — $10,000, really?” said Marquis, a former federal prosecutor from Oregon. “I’m very surprised by the low amount … the lowest security I ever had was in the six figures and that was for a marijuana case.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit declined to comment on the case, saying only that it was reviewing the file to see how the bond issue was handled over the last two years before it went to trial in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
The three fugitives attended the two-week trial, but failed to show up to the courthouse when the verdict came down at about 1 p.m. Monday.
“The judge said, ‘We have a verdict.’ And they were gone,” said Gina Balaya, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy gave the defendants one hour to show before issuing warrants for their arrest.
Wanted are the two ringleaders: Carlos Powell, 39, of Washington Township, who removed his court-ordered tether and had a $50,000 unsecured bond, and Eric Powell, 36, of Franklin, who had a $10,000 unsecured bond, as well as Earnest Proge Jr., 38, of Detroit, who also had a $10,000 unsecured bond.
A fourth defendant, Kenneth Daniels, 55, a former state representative for Detroit’s 5th District, did show for the verdict and was convicted of structuring financial transactions for Carlos Powell.
The defendants were among a dozen individuals indicted in 2012 for their role in a massive drug ring in metro Detroit that used semi-trucks and vehicles equipped with traps and hidden compartments to shuttle heroin, cocaine, marijuana and drug money across the country.
The members lived large, the government said, using their ill-gotten gains to buy, for example: $800,000 worth of jewelry, two boats and 10 vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, two Bentleys, a 2006 Ferrari, four Mercedes and a Range Rover.
Attorneys for the Powell brothers and Proge could not be reached for comment.
In court documents, defense attorney N.C. Deday LaRene had argued in 2012 that his client, Carlos Powell, should have his tether released, calling it “more restrictive than is reasonably necessary.” He noted that there had been no violations of Powell’s tether supervision, and that Pretrial Services supported Powell’s request that the tether be removed.
The tether stayed on.
Powell still fled.
“This is going to cost them quite substantially,” Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor, said of the fugitives. “They’ll pay a very heavy price when they come in and beg for mercy. That’s going to fall on deaf ears. And they are likely to get caught.”
Henning said $10,000 is a typical bond set in a case where there’s no concern over a flight risk. And if there is a flight risk concern, he said, a tether or house arrest is usually ordered, as was in this case.
Unfortunately, he said, “judges get burned.”
Authorities say the fugitives should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact the U.S. Marshals Service at 313-234-5656.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:48 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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May 12, 2014
Contact: Public Information Officer
Number: (313) 234-4310
Three of Detroit’s Largest Drug Traffickers of Recent History Flee Before Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts
Carlos Powell was the head of the massive drug ring in which $21 million was seized in 2010
MAY 12 (Detroit, MI) - Three individuals from metro-Detroit were convicted of violating various federal drug laws in a massive drug ring that trafficked hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana in metro-Detroit, announced United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade.
McQuade was joined in the announcement by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge James V. Allen.
The drug ring, which was one of the largest in metro-Detroit history, also laundered in excess of $21 million in U.S. currency. After the trial was finished but before the verdict was returned by the jury, the three men, Carlos Ellis Powell, age 39, of Washington Township, MI, Eric Jerome Powell, age 36, of Franklin Farms, MI, and Earnest Lee Proge, Jr., age 38, of Detroit, MI, fled the courthouse. Law enforcement is actively searching for these men. They should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact that United States Marshals at 313-234-5656.
Law enforcement is actively searching for these men. They should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact the United States Marshals at 313-234-5656.
A fourth defendant, Kenneth Robert Daniels, age 54, of Detroit, MI, a former Michigan State Representative for Detroit Fifth’s District, was also convicted of structuring financial transactions for the leader of the drug ring, Carlos Ellis Powell. Unlike the other three defendants, Mr. Daniels appeared for the jury’s verdict.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s investigation of the drug ring uncovered a massive operation that began in 2006 and continued until late 2010. Carlos Powell, Eric Powell, Earnest Proge, and ten others operated a drug organization which dealt in multi-kilogram quantities of marijuana, heroin and cocaine in the Detroit metropolitan area. The members of the organization would arrange for large amounts of money derived from the sale of drugs to be transported to Phoenix, Arizona, Mexico and elsewhere for the purpose of purchasing more controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, the members of the organization would use semi-trucks and vehicles equipped with traps and hidden compartments to transport marijuana, cocaine and heroin, as well as cash generated from the sale of these drugs.
Since 2006, law enforcement officers from across the country have seized over 12 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of heroin and 1000 pounds of marijuana destined for distribution by this organization. More than $21 million in cash was seized by law enforcement officers between June 2010 and November 2010 alone. Law enforcement also seized jewelry appraised at over $800,000, 8 pieces of real property in Michigan and Georgia valued in excess of $750,000, 10 vehicles, including a 2004 Rolls Royce, 2006 and 2008 Bentley, a 2006 Ferrari, 4 Mercedes, a Ranger Rover and two boats.
The members of this organization, using the illegal proceeds of their narcotic sales, purchased and leased numerous luxury vehicles, acquired and sold real property and purchased jewelry while concealing the true source and nature of the funds involved in the transaction through false names and nominee purchasers.
The members of the organization would deposit large amounts of cash derived from the sale of drugs into various bank accounts; purchase cashier's checks and money orders; and wire transfer these funds. These funds would then be used to purchase assets and pay personal expenses with the goal of concealing the true source, nature and ownership of the funds which had been derived from the organization's drug sales.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of officers from Northville Township Police Department, Plymouth Township Police Department, Warren Police Department, Redford Police Department, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Police Department and the Michigan State Police. |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:51 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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May 14, 2014 at 12:24 pm
Broken leg, legal breaks kept fugitive Metro Detroit drug dealers from jail
Robert Snell
The Detroit News
Detroit— Carlos Powell, one of the biggest drug dealers in Metro Detroit history, got bond and went on the run thanks to a bum leg.
Court records pinpoint exactly how the Macomb County man managed to avoid being jailed two years ago pending trial in a massive drug conspiracy case.
The records also reveal Powell, his brother and a friend, all of whom disappeared before their jury returned guilty verdicts Monday, have a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond.
The back-story emerged Tuesday while a team of fugitive hunters searched for the three fez-wearing drug dealers, who face up to life in prison and $10 million fines.
The U.S. Marshals Service, meanwhile, offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest of each man.
The Powell brothers said in court filings that they wear fezzes because it is considered a religious headdress. They are purported members of the Moorish Science Temple of America and, according to court filings, not subject to U.S. laws.
Temple official Kenny Martin El of Greensboro, N.C., would not say Tuesday whether the group had helped the men flee or if he knew their whereabouts.
“We don’t want to elaborate on that,” he told The News. “They are in their skin, wherever they are.”
Craig Fuqua-Bey, grand sheik of the Moorish Science Temple of America’s temple in Detroit, said he’s never heard of the three men before and they do not belong to any area temples.
“I don’t know them,” he said.
Fuqua-Bey questioned whether the men claimed membership in the group as a legal ploy.
“They were trying to use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card,” he said.
Before Carlos Powell showed up for his arraignment in federal court on Feb. 1, 2012, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares was going to urge a judge against issuing bond.
But the leader of one of the largest heroin rings in Metro Detroit history walked into federal court in downtown Detroit on crutches and a broken leg.
“Due to defendant’s incapacitation, the government agreed to a bond for defendant as long as it included GPS location monitoring and a curfew,” prosecutors wrote in a later court filing.
So Powell turned in his passport and promised U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Randon that if he ever fled and got caught, he would pay $50,000 — less than half the value of the Bentley Continental owned by Powell, who stockpiled millions in cash at his Washington Township home.
Powell cut his ankle tether Monday and disappeared after learning his jury had reached a verdict, court officials said.
The decision to grant such a small bond to Powell — a decision former federal prosecutor Keith Corbett called a “joke” — and Powell’s disappearance Monday sparked a round of finger pointing as a team of fugitive hunters searched for Powell, his brother Eric Powell and friend Earnest Proge.
After getting bond in early 2012, Carlos Powell wasn’t done getting in trouble but still managed to stay out of a federal prison while awaiting trial.
On June 18, 2012, Powell was arrested for driving without a license and failing to report an accident in West Bloomfield.
Unlike federal court, the West Bloomfield judge ordered Powell to spend 29 days in the Oakland County Jail.
His brother Eric Powell, meanwhile, had a lengthy rap sheet that included a conviction for fleeing and eluding.
Despite the record, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mona Majzoub released Powell on $10,000 unsecured bond and placed him on home confinement.
Between 1995 and 2003, Eric Powell was on probation for various offenses, including three drug convictions, and violated probation five times, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors pointed to his rap sheet in May 2012 when his defense lawyer unsuccessfully tried to relax bond conditions.
“During the course of this investigation, significant evidence was gathered that Eric Powell is a large-scale drug trafficker with access to very large sums of money,” prosecutors wrote.
Friend Earnest Proge, meanwhile, got a $10,000 unsecured bond from Majzoub despite leading state police on a 10-mile high-speed chase during the drug investigation.
On Sept. 17, 2010, undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents spotted Eric Powell loading three suitcases into a Ford Flex at a home on Stricker Avenue in Eastpointe.
Powell drove to a warehouse and met Proge and a second man.
Proge left in the Ford Flex, heading west on Interstate 94. The DEA agents called Michigan State Police and asked a trooper to stop Proge.
“Proge fled from MSP and engaged multiple police vehicles in a high-speed chase,” Cares wrote in a court filing.
Proge eventually stopped the car and was arrested.
Agents looked inside the Ford Flex and found the suitcases. Inside, they found more than $2.25 million wrapped in heat-sealed plastic bags.
Agents examined the plastic and found a palm print. It belonged to Eric Powell.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy, who presided over the trio’s nearly two-week trial, was outraged Proge and the others were granted bond.
“I think it’s outrageous. Who gave them bond?” he asked prosecutors in court Monday. “Did you appeal that to me?”
Prosecutors shook their head no.
Before demanding prosecutors issue bench warrants for the trio’s arrest, the judge railed against the three missing drug dealers Monday after learning they had disappeared before the jury returned with a verdict.
“Absolutely outrageous,” the judge said.
rsnell@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2028
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140514/METRO01/305140028#ixzz31mhNf4XD |
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Thu May 15, 2014 6:58 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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May 12, 2014 at 10:07 pm
Judge outraged after drug dealers disappear before guilty verdicts
Robert Snell
Detroit — Federal agents launched a manhunt Monday for three fez-wearing drug dealers who disappeared before a jury returned guilty verdicts in one of the biggest drug cases in Metro Detroit history.
Drug kingpin Carlos Powell of Washington Township; his brother, Eric Powell of Franklin; and friend Earnest Proge of Detroit, who were free on bond, failed to appear as ordered before the jury returned its verdict about 1 p.m. The verdict followed a nearly two-week trial in federal court; all three face up to life in prison and $10 million fines.
The men’s disappearance outraged U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy, who ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to find the three.
“No bond. No exceptions,” a red-faced Murphy said, pointing at a deputy U.S. marshal inside a courtroom filled with lawyers, prosecutors and federal agents. “These guys are into the wind. I think it’s outrageous.”
The size, scope and profits of Carlos Powell’s drug ring places him among the most prolific drug dealers in Metro Detroit history. During a years-long investigation, agents seized 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, 1,000 pounds of marijuana and more than $21 million in cash.
Powell’s drug ring allegedly laundered profits and purchased $800,000 worth of jewelry, real estate in Michigan and Georgia and luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys, a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce, and boats. Most have been seized.
Carlos Powell, 39, appeared in court early Monday but cut his ankle tether at 12:33 p.m. — 18 minutes after the jury was supposed to read the verdict, according to courtroom testimony. Eric Powell and Proge could have fled as early as Thursday night, the judge said.
All three should be considered armed and dangerous, prosecutors said. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at (313) 234-5656.
The three men were standing trial in federal court alongside the man prosecutors say helped Carlos Powell hide and spend his millions: former state Rep. Kenneth Daniels, D-Detroit. Daniels, 54, was convicted Monday of a financial crime related to the caseand faces up to five years in prison.
The jury deliberated for about three days before reaching a verdict early Monday on various drug and firearm offenses. Defense lawyers and defendants were supposed to be in court by 12:15 p.m. but only Daniels, defense lawyers and prosecutors appeared.
'Go get these guys'
Before calling jurors into his courtroom, the judge stood at his bench, pointed at lawyers and demanded answers.
“Where’s Carlos Powell?” the judge asked Deday LaRene.
“I can’t answer that,” the lawyer said.
“I want the government to get three bench warrants immediately, and I want the marshals to go get these guys,” the judge said.
The judge was frustrated the three men would stand trial for almost two weeks and then apparently flee before the verdict.
“What’s that say about these three?” Murphy said. “I’d like these three arrested today without exception. No bond. Understand?”
Carlos Powell’s lawyer tried to defend his client, saying he never fled during a prolonged investigation and prosecution.
“There was absolutely no indication (the men would disappear),” the lawyer said.
“That’s because they’re smart criminals,” the judge said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Randon released Carlos Powell on $50,000 unsecured bond in February 2012. Powell also was ordered to wear a tether.
Randon was recently named a new bankruptcy judge in Detroit.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mona Majzoub, meanwhile, released 36-year-old Eric Powell and 38-year-old Proge on $10,000 unsecured bond in February 2012.
The bonds were extremely low, particularly for Carlos Powell, said criminal defense lawyer Keith Corbett, a former chief of the U.S. Attorney's Organized Crime Strike Force in Detroit.
“Given the nature of the offense and access to huge amounts of cash these guys had, unsecured bond is a joke,” he said.
Unsecured bond, which does not require a defendant to produce any cash up front, is common in federal court in Detroit, Corbett said.
“They let virtually everybody out on bond,” he said. “As a prosecutor, I thought that was crazy.”
Prosecutors can appeal to a federal district judge but the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not in this case. “The prosecutor’s office, in essence, becomes complicit by failing to object,” Corbett said.
Drugs and money galore
The case featured epic amounts of drugs and money.
During a raid of Carlos Powell’s home in northern Macomb County, agents found $3 million in cash. The money was found on top of drawers, in drawers, behind drawers, under drawers, in the kitchen pantry and under the TV.
“It was almost as if he was running out of places to put the cash,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Gabel told jurors during opening statements.
Carlos Powell, his brother and Proge cast an unusual profile in court. Murphy allowed each man to wear a fez hat in his courtroom. Carlos Powell’s hat was black. Proge’s, too. Eric Powell’s was deep red. Each featured a long tassel that hung to the shoulder.
The men said they were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America. One court filing, on Moorish Science Temple of America letterhead, alleged that the Powell brothers were not subject to U.S. laws and offered to pay money to settle the criminal charges. The judge dismissed the letter as frivolous.
Another court filing indicated the fez the men wore each day to court was “a religious headdress that must be worn for distinction.”
“They wore fezzes without comment from me,” Murphy said after jurors were escorted out of his courtroom Monday. “I thought it was highly offensive and disrespectful.”
The men’s arrests in early 2012 capped a six-year probe. The probe was revealed in a forfeiture complaint filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Beck in December 2010 that summarized the cash seizures and described an alleged drug and money-laundering operation.
The drug ring arranged for large amounts of cash from drug sales to be hauled to Phoenix, Ariz.; Mexico; and elsewhere to buy more drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The drugs were distributed in semi-trucks and vehicles customized with hidden compartments for marijuana, cocaine, heroin and cash, according to prosecutors. Large-scale heroin seizures are rare. Since March 2010, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents involved in the Powell investigation have executed at least 16 search and seizure warrants across Metro Detroit.
rsnell@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2028
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140512/METRO08/305120104#ixzz31mir5UDx |
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Thu May 15, 2014 7:02 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Moorish Science Temple of America
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Thu May 15, 2014 7:11 am |
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