Crack Cocaine Kingpin Sentenced

Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that RAMONE MOCKABEE, 39, Indianapolis, Indiana was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker following his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Judge Barker sentenced MOCKABEE to 360 months’ imprisonment. MOCKABEE was the leader of a crack cocaine trafficking organization that operated on the near northside of Indianapolis. MOCKABEE procured kilogram quantities of powder cocaine from different sources in Indianapolis and converted the powder cocaine into crack cocaine. MOCKABEE distributed the crack cocaine to his distributors from a “crack house” located at 781 West 25th Street, Indianapolis.

MOCKABEE and 19 other co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2010 on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and related offenses. On January 20, 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched MOCKABEE’s residence on the 3900 block of Diamond Lane in Indianapolis and seized crack cocaine, a firearm, and $88,199 in currency. Federal authorities have since forfeited the currency seized from MOCKABEE and the residence located at 781 West 25th Street.

Three of MOCKABEE’s co-defendants proceeded to trial and were convicted by a federal jury on January 18, 2011. One of these defendants, Kenneth Jones, was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 19. The other two defendants, Devon Young and Elisha Drake, are awaiting sentencing.

The prosecution was the result of an investigation directed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. Other law enforcement agencies that participated in the investigation included the Internal Revenue Service, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Speedway Police Department, and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

AUSA Bradley A. Blackington prosecuted the case for the government.