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Press Release

Muskegon Man Sentenced To 96 Months In Federal Prison For Drug, Firearm, And Witness Tampering Offenses

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Larry Dwayne Diggs, age 24, also known as "Montana" and "Montie," of Muskegon, Michigan was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for drug, firearm, and witness tampering offenses, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr. announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell imposed a 3-year term of supervised release that will commence once Diggs is released from imprisonment.

          Diggs pled guilty on February 3, 2016, to one count of possessing "crack" cocaine with the intent to distribute, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and one count of witness tampering. Diggs admitted at the plea hearing that on July 2, 2015, he possessed a quantity of "crack" cocaine and a Glock pistol while at a gas station in Muskegon, Michigan. He admitted that he was on his way to sell the "crack" cocaine to a customer, and he possessed the loaded handgun for his protection. Investigation revealed that the handgun was stolen, and Diggs was a convicted felon.

          Diggs’ criminal conduct was not limited to selling drugs while armed with a stolen handgun, which itself posed a significant risk to the community. In the sentencing memorandum Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Lewis advised the judge that Diggs engaged in "a campaign of witness tampering in an effort to avoid responsibility for his crimes" and argued that such conduct "strikes at the heart of the judicial system and is affront to the Court and the community." Moreover, Diggs "has a number of prior convictions, to include a conviction for shooting at people near a crowded beach in the Muskegon area." Diggs’ conduct and history warranted "a significant custodial sentence to reflect the seriousness of his conduct, promote respect for the law, deter future criminal conduct by the defendant, deter others from engaging in similar conduct, and provide just punishment for his criminal conduct."

          The charges in this case are the result of a joint investigation by the Muskegon Township Police Department and the Muskegon Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Muskegon City Police Department. The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office, and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to combat violent crime and witness tampering in the Muskegon area.

End

Updated June 7, 2016