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Press Release

Law Enforcement Arrests 30 of 33 Defendants Charged in Madison-Morgan County Cocaine Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Alabama

HUNTSVILLE -- Federal and local law enforcement today arrested 30 of 33 defendants indicted in August as part of a long-running conspiracy to distribute cocaine in north Alabama. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger C. Stanton, Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray, and Decatur Police Chief Ed Taylor announced the charges and arrests.

Most of the defendants live in the Huntsville-Decatur area and are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine from January 2013 to March 2015 in Morgan and Madison counties. The 33-count indictment also includes 26 counts of using a telephone to facilitate the drug conspiracy. All 26 telephone counts cite MARCUS MONDEZ “Bubba” LAMPKIN, 42, of Decatur, in individual calls with 26 of the other defendants.

As part of the investigation, law enforcement earlier seized $468,250 cash, more than 38 kilograms of cocaine and three firearms. In the course of today's arrests, four more handguns and one rifle were seized.

"This investigation successfully took down a major cocaine-trafficking organization operating in northern Alabama," Vance said. "This is another prime example of how federal, state and local law enforcement, working together, are able to successfully dismantle narcotics smuggling organizations and reduce the availability of illegal drugs on the streets," she said.

"The arrests today, and the volume of drugs seized highlight the potentially devastating impact this criminal enterprise had on Madison-Morgan County and the surrounding area," Stanton said. "I particularly want to thank the Decatur Police Department and the Madison-Morgan County HIDTA Task Force (STAC) for their outstanding work in bringing this case to fruition. The public should rest assured knowing that the FBI and our partners will continue to root out these kinds of significant criminal enterprises."

“Numerous officers and agents have devoted countless hours to this investigation, and the arrests made and drugs seized are evidence of their hard work and dedication,” said Huntsville’s Chief McMurray. “The Huntsville Police Department is proud of the relationship we share with our neighboring agencies, as well as those at the state and federal level. Without these relationships, today’s success would not have been possible. I particularly want to thank the members of the HIDTA Task Force (STAC) for the outstanding job they do on a daily basis serving our community in the fight against drugs.”

"These arrests and drug seizures represent a significant impact on drug trafficking in our community and the surrounding area," said Decatur's Chief Taylor. "We are very pleased at the success of this operation that highlighted the partnership of several area agencies, the Madison-Morgan County HIDTA Task Force, the Decatur Police Department and the FBI, working together to combat a  significant drug-dealing enterprise," he said. "This successful operation represents hundreds of hours of dedicated work by many law enforcement officers, all of whom should be commended for making our community a better place to live and work."   

Indicted in the conspiracy along with MARCUS  LAMPKIN are: MICHAEL GREGORY “Udo" SMITH, 31, XAVIER RASHAAD “June” JOYNER, 32, JERMAINE “Main Main” CUNNINGHAM, 37, LAMOND FREDRICK “Lemon” BOYKIN, 39, CLIFFORD ORR, 63, EMEKA KENNGE FOSTER, 38, ANDRE LASALLE “Put” CATER, 43, BRANDON DEWAYNE FENNELL, 33, JAMES EARL “Little James” MITCHELL,  21, RODERICK CORNELIUS “Rara” CUNNINGHAM, 33, VALERIE ANNETTE LYNCH, 27, MARCUS DWAYNE “Butch” TRAMMELL, 45, ALMON JARIE “Beetle” LAMPKIN, 33, FREDERICK ELI “Poochie” BROWN JR., 35, NATASHA MARIE LAMPKIN, 35, LATONYA ROSHELLE “Punkin” ELLIOTT, 27, RASHOD MARTEL “Rara,” LAMPKIN, 23, and LEON TREMAYNE “Ears TEAGUE, 39, all of Decatur, ANTHONY DAWSON “Billy D” McCOMB II, 32, SUN RAJON WOODS, 21, QUINDARRIUS UNTARRIO “OG” McCANTS, 26, DANIEL LEON WORSLEY, 30, DARION DEONTE “Red” McCLENDON, 27, DEMARCUS ANTWAN TONEY, 31, DAVID EARL HARDIN, 45, MARSHALL “Tweetie” HUGHES JR., 42, and JAMES CORTEZ “Punkin” TIMMONS, 26, all of Huntsville, HARVEY JABOR “Jabar” FREEMAN, 43, of Madison, THOMAS ANTHONY STRONG, 22, of Athens, DARIK ONEAL SHARPLEY, 36, of Hillsboro, FELITA VAUGHN, 38, of Florence, and GARY WAYNE ADAMS, 46, of Baton Rouge, La.

The four Lampkins are related. Marcus Lampkin is Natasha Lampkin's uncle. Almon Lampkin and Rashod Lampkin are brothers, and also cousins of Natasha Lampkin.

In an early morning roundup today, FBI agents and members of the Madison-Morgan County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, known as STAC, spread out across north Alabama and arrested all but three of the defendants. Authorities still are seeking Joyner, Sharpley and Hardin.

The indictment separates defendants by the amount of cocaine attributable to them in the conspiracy to distribute the illegal drug.

Marcus Lampkin, Smith, McComb, Woods and Adams are charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

McCants, Joyner, Jermaine Cunningham, Boykin, Orr, Worsley, McClendon, Foster, Cater, Fennell, Toney, Sharpley, Mitchell and Roderick Cunningham are charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Defendants Lynch, Hardin, Trammell, Strong, Hughes, Timmons, Almon Lampkin, Brown, Natasha Lampkin, Elliott, Freeman, Rashod Lampkin, Vaughn and Teague are charged with conspiracy to distribute "an amount of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine hydrochloride."

Along with the 26 counts of using a telephone during a drug crime, the indictment also charges Boykin with one count of distributing crack cocaine in Morgan County, charges McCants with one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine in Madison County and charges McComb with using a firearm during a drug-trafficking offense in Morgan and Madison counties. The indictment charges Toney with one count each of possessing with intent to distribute crack cocaine, using a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In a related case indicted in March, four Mexican nationals have pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in Morgan and Shelby counties between March 2013 and March 2015. The four men are scheduled for sentencing Sept. 29. They are Eric Guadarama “Migo," Rubi, 25, his brother, Luis David Guadarama Rubi, 19, Jorge Gante, 36, and Carlos Juarez Flores, 24.

Maximum penalties for the crimes charged in the indictment unsealed today are as follows:

  • Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine;

  • Conspiracy to

  • Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine;

  • Using a telephone during or to facilitate a drug-traffickingcrime, four years in prison and a $250,000 fine;

  • Distributing crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine;

  • Using a gun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, a minimum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine;

  • Possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, five to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine;

  • Convicted felon in possession of a firearm, 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The FBI, in conjunction with Huntsville, Decatur and Pelham police departments, Madison and Morgan County sheriff's offices, Madison County District Attorney's Office, federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Stuart Burrell and Davis Barlow are prosecuting.

An indictment contains charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

Updated September 16, 2015

Topic
Drug Trafficking