Evansville Crack Dealer Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison

Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that SAM COOK, 37, Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 257 months’ imprisonment late yesterday by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following his conviction at trial for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. This case was the result of a eight-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Evansville Police Department.

In early 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI Safe Streets Task Force received information from multiple sources that a group of individuals were distributing large amounts of crack cocaine in Evansville. The investigation culminated with the indictment of 26 individuals and the execution of 14 search warrants which yielded United States currency, multiple firearms, including an assault pistol, and various amounts of controlled substances, including crack cocaine. JEREMY SIMMONS was the leader of a trafficking organization that distributed approximately 12 kilograms of crack cocaine from January 2006 through August 29, 2007. COOK was an upper-level crack cocaine distributor for the SIMMONS organization. SIMMONS was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, March 16.

According to Assistant U. S. Attorney Bradley A. Blackington who prosecuted these cases, the following agencies also assisted in the investigation: the United States Marshal Service, the Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police.