Flagstaff Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years for Selling Methamphetamine

PHOENIX—Larry Keams Kahn, 42, of Flagstaff, Arizona, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison by the Honorable Stephen M. McNamee, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“This is the largest drug investigation ever conducted on the Navajo Nation—removing more drug peddlers in one case than ever before,” said Dennis K. Burke, United States Attorney. “We commend the law enforcement agencies involved who worked tirelessly to make this investigation so successful—Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Drug & Gang Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Flagstaff Police Department.”

In 2009, Kahn sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer on three different occasions as part of an undercover operation. The undercover operation had expanded into Flagstaff and targeted people with a history of dealing methamphetamine in Tuba City, Arizona. The operation yielded several Tuba City methamphetamine dealers who were charged federally and had connections with suppliers in Flagstaff, Arizona. Following this undercover operation, police arrested 22 people on federal charges. Six defendants have been sentenced, seven defendants are awaiting sentencing, and trials are pending in the remaining nine cases.

Five additional defendants who sold methamphetamine to undercover officers were also sentenced recently on federal charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Defendants included Collette Serena Yazzie, 26, of Tuba City, Ariz., sentenced to 37 months; Monty Dinehdeal, 35, of Tuba City, Ariz., sentenced to 36 months; Vicenya Watson, 37, of Tuba City, Ariz., sentenced to 24 months; Ricky Mitchell Yazzie, 43, of Tuba City, Ariz., sentenced to 15 months; and Shawn Begay, 25, of Tuba City, Ariz., sentence to time served of six months.

The investigation in these cases was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Drug & Gang Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Flagstaff Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Joe Lodge, Assistant U.S. Attorney in Flagstaff, and Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, in Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:    3:10-cr-08063-SMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2010-251(Kahn)