April 8, 2015

Kansas City Man, Six Columbia Residents Sentenced for Cocaine Conspiracy

JEFFERSON CITY, MO—Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Mo., man and six Columbia, Mo., residents have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County, Mo., and elsewhere.

Yun Yi Chang, 37, and Ricardo Lawrence Harrell, 36, both of Columbia, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Chang was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole. Harrell was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole.

Samuel Raphael Johnson, 37, of Kansas City, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, to 15 years in federal prison without parole.

Johnson, Chang and Harrell have all pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boone County and elsewhere from July 2008 until 2012. Johnson admitted that he sold multiple kilograms of cocaine to co-defendant Levi McLean Franklin Coolley, 36, of Columbia, for $20,000 per kilogram. Coolley, who has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing, used other conspirators (including Chang) to pick up the cocaine from Johnson in Kansas City and deliver it to Columbia, where it was distributed.

Chang admitted that he and Coolley were responsible for bringing more than 20 kilograms of cocaine to Columbia. Chang also admitted that, for approximately six months preceding his March 2012 arrest, he purchased an average of two ounces of cocaine every two weeks from Harrell for $1,100 per ounce.

At approximately 2:40 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2011, officers of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department were dispatched on an alarm call to Johnson’s residence, where they discovered evidence of a break-in. When they searched Johnson’s residence, they found 72.42 grams of cocaine, 75.47 grams of crack cocaine and 18.66 kilograms of marijuana.

During the time of the conspiracy, and due to his direct involvement in the agreement to distribute cocaine and his knowing participation and knowledge of the extent of the distribution network, Johnson acknowledge that he was responsible for the distribution of more than five kilograms of cocaine.

Co-defendants Jessica Lynn Jobe, 32, George Dale Wolchko, 33, and Patrick Jeremy O’Blennis, 35, all of Columbia, were also sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to their roles in the cocaine-trafficking conspiracy. Jobe was sentenced to three years and three months in federal prison without parole. Wolchko was sentenced to three years in federal prison without parole. O’Blennis was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison. Co-defendant Justin Ashley Blackburn, 33, of Columbia, was also sentenced yesterday to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to his role in a separate conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Co-defendants Russell Preston Browns, 33, Sara Jean Patrick Browns, 28, Travis Keith Rudloff, 38, Art Waylon Gill, 36, Michael Wayne Crossno, 40, Russell Scott Kuda, 41, Nicholas Robert Berberich, 34, and Lance Michael Walbrecht, 36, all of Columbia, already have been sentenced.

Three co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing: Coolley, Eric Paxton Pyle, 36, and Jonathan Richard Gray, 36, all of Columbia.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Gonzalez. It was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.