Three Members of Drug Conspiracy Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Distribution of Crack Cocaine

ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that three men were indicted by a federal grand jury and arraigned in federal court in Anchorage on charges of drug conspiracy and distribution of crack cocaine.

According to the five-count indictment, Jean Carlos Perez, a/k/a Dominican Mike, 20, Martin Francisco Sanchez, 47, and Vernon Louis Lane, 21, all of Anchorage, Alaska, allegedly conspired with each other and distributed more than five grams of crack cocaine between December 2009 and February 2010.

The defendants were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Deborah Smith, who scheduled trial for November 22, 2010.

Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne Lamoureux, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that for the conspiracy charge, the law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both, and a mandatory minimum of four years' supervised release upon release from prison. The indictment includes a criminal forfeiture allegation against Perez to forfeit his Mercedes-Benz SUV. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the indictment and arrests in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.