Four Evansville Crack Dealers Sentenced to Life
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 17, 2009 |
Timothy M. Morrison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced that BRIAN JONES, 32, and LEONARD HOSKINS, 29, Evansville, Indiana, were sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday, March 13, 2009, by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following their conviction at trial for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. JEREMY SIMMONS, 32, and MITCHELL McGHEE, 30, Evansville, were sentenced to life imprisonment late yesterday. In addition, LAMONT ROBINSON, 31, Evansville, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment yesterday. This case was the result of a eight-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Evansville Police Department.
In early 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI Safe Streets Task Force received information from multiple sources that a group of individuals were distributing large amounts of crack cocaine in Evansville. The investigation culminated with the indictment of 26 individuals and the execution of 14 search warrants which yielded United States currency, multiple firearms, including an assault pistol, and various amounts of controlled substances, including crack cocaine. JEREMY SIMMONS was the leader of a trafficking organization that distributed approximately 12 kilograms of crack cocaine from January 2006 through August 29, 2007. JONES, HOSKINS, and McGHEE were upper-level crack cocaine distributors for the SIMMONS organization. LAMONT ROBINSON was a drug runner for JEREMY SIMMONS. SIMMONS and his girlfriend, TANISHA WEST traveled to Chicago to obtain cocaine in both powder form and crack form and transported the cocaine back to Evansville. SIMMONS coordinated the distribution of the cocaine in Evansville. WEST’s sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2009.
According to Assistant U. S. Attorney Bradley A. Blackington who prosecuted these cases, the following agencies also assisted in the investigation: the United States Marshal Service, the Evansville Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police.