Seventeen Defendants Indicted in Drug Conspiracy Case in Federal Court in Milwaukee

Acting United States Attorney Michelle L. Jacobs announced that today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court charging 17 defendants with conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and other controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841. One of the defendants, Michael Davis, is also charged with interstate prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422.

The defendants are identified as Davis, 35, Corey Wilkins, 35, both of Brown Deer, Timothy Shorter, 37, of Arlington, Texas, Robert Gregory, 33, Targon Tracy Carrington, 37, Dameon Highshaw, 33, Byron Brumfield, 40, William Dunn, 34, Anthony Rochelle, 34, Michael Staten, 36, Jerome Landry, 26, Lorenzo Jones, Jr., 40, Calvin Howard, 33, AD Lee, 49, Twanda Paschal, 32, Donna Flowers, 40, and Danielle Chipley, 42, all of Milwaukee.

Today, law enforcement officers arrested 11 of these defendants. Highshaw is already in state prison serving a revocation sentence for Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine in Milwaukee County Case No. 2002CF005390. Still at large are Calvin Howard, Lorenzo Jones, Jerome Landry, AD Lee, and Anthony Rochelle. Agents and officers also executed 11 federal search warrants (including one in Arlington, TX), and three state search warrants, all without incident. The following items were seized: $58,900 in cash, approximately 91.9 grams of powder cocaine, approximately 152 grams of crack cocaine, 15 pounds of marijuana, five handguns, and eight vehicles.

The defendants were charged based on a year long joint investigation by the Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Gang Task Force, which includes officers from Milwaukee Police Department and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to Acting United States Attorney Michelle L. Jacobs, “In the last five years, more than 800 drug dealers, who had been exploiting and doing grave damage to this community, have been arrested and charged in federal court. This latest round of arrests yet again demonstrates our continuing commitment to working with the Milwaukee Police Department to root out organized drug activity and help improve the quality of life in our city. Drug traffickers need to know that when they peddle drugs to the streets of Milwaukee, they will attract the attention of law enforcement, and will be prosecuted. ” She commended the actions of all the participating agencies, and in particular, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Milwaukee Police Department, working together through the HIDTA.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica O’Neil and Elizabeth Blackwood. Many of the defendants, if convicted, face between 10 years and life imprisonment, a fine of up to $4,000,000, and 5 years to life on supervised release.

An indictment is merely the formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.