Seven Members of Coeur d'Alene Cocaine Ring Arrested
| U.S. Attorney’s Office May 26, 2010 |
Five men and two women were arrested yesterday on federal drug conspiracy charges in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Kennewick, Washington, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Federal search warrants were executed at six locations in Coeur d'Alene and at one residence in Kennewick. State search warrants and arrests were also conducted in conjunction with the investigation.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, between January 2000 and May 2010, the defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and marijuana.
The defendants have been identified as:
- James O’Neill of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Manuel Rivera of Kennewick, Washington
- Gary Votava of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Christopher McFarland of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Stephen McCabe of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Debra Margraff of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Lecia O’Neill of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Initial appearances for James O’Neill, Lecia O’Neill, Christopher McFarland, and Debra Margraff are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26, at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Initial appearances for Stephen McCabe and Gary Votava are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 27, at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
The defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, up to life, and a fine of up to $4,000,000.
Agencies involved in the investigation and arrests include the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, United States Marshal’s Service, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force, the U.S. Forest Service, the Tri-Cities (Washington) Metro Drug Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
The arrests and search warrants were conducted as part of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Idaho State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force which supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
A complaint is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.