Home Indianapolis Press Releases 2010 Last Defendant Sentenced in Evansville/Chicago Drug and Firearms Trafficking Indictment
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Last Defendant Sentenced in Evansville/Chicago Drug and Firearms Trafficking Indictment
Charles Avery Sentenced to 21 Years and Eight Months in Prison

U.S. Attorney’s Office December 14, 2010
  • Southern District of Indiana (317) 226-6333

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced the sentencing today of the last defendant in a federal crack cocaine and firearms trafficking conspiracy in United States District Court in Evansville. Charles Avery, the last of 20 persons charged in several related indictments to be sentenced, received a sentence of 21 years and eight months in prison yesterday from Chief Judge Richard Young. This brings to a close the investigation and prosecution of group responsible for the trafficking of cocaine base and firearms between Chicago and Evansville. In addition to drug and gun trafficking, the activities of the conspiracy included various incidents of armed violence in Evansville in furtherance of the conspiracy's objectives. Several of the defendants, including conspiracy leader Jesse Young, were members of the “Black P Stones” Chicago based criminal street gang.

Sentences handed down by the United States District Court Chief Judge Richard L. Young included:

  • Jesse Young, of Chicago, sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment
  • Michael Redmond, of Chicago, sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment
  • Charles Avery, of Chicago, sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment
  • Jerron Reed, of Chicago, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment
  • Vito Allen, of Chicago, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment
  • Mark Lewis, of Chicago, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • Lee Blanton, of Chicago, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • Anthony Chew, of Chicago, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • William Somers, of Evansville, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • Lawrence Brandon, of Chicago, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • Kevin Thomas, of Chicago, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment
  • William Suber, of Chicago, sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment
  • Quentin Nowells, of Evansville, sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment
  • Aaron McNeil, of Chicago, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment
  • Vonette Cabell, of Evansville, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment
  • December Wilson, of Evansville, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment

Four additional defendants were sentenced to probation for their roles as straw purchasers of firearms trafficked between Evansville and Chicago by the conspiracy.

The federal indictment arose from a cooperative investigation by the Evansville Vanderburgh County Joint Drug Task Force; The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2007, law enforcement began noticing an influx of Chicago based crack cocaine distributors to the Evansville area. Subsequent investigation uncovered a network of persons, headed locally by defendant Young, engaged in the trafficking and distribution of crack cocaine from Chicago to Evansville. The investigation of Young and his associates uncovered a crack cocaine distribution network operating between southwestern Indiana and Chicago, responsible for distributing large quantities of crack in the city of Evansville. The investigation also uncovered the group's ancillary gun trafficking operation, in which firearms were illegally purchased in Evansville for subsequent sale or trade in Chicago. Some of the firearms illegally trafficked by the group were later recovered in connection with criminal investigations in Chicago. Young and others used and relied upon their ties to the “Black P Stones” gang, which has a well known reputation for armed violence and drug distribution, to further their drug and firearms trafficking activities in Evansville and Chicago.

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