Seven people have been arrested in connection with a massive marijuana trafficking ring operating in Birmingham, Alabama, according to federal authorities.
The ring, led by 38-year-old Stephen Lamar Gadson, allegedly brought in large quantities of marijuana from California to Birmingham via commercial airline flights between January 2016 and late March 2019.
The superseding indictment charges Gadson, his brother Lynn Darnell Gadson Jr., 32, Ryan Jamal Washington, 31, Keoni Keith Gaddy, 30, Erica Jacinda Gadson, 30, Cormisha Ketua Quinn, 24, and Janacia Latrice Thomas, 28, with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
The indictment also includes charges of money laundering, with five of the defendants facing counts related to the crime. Gadson, his brother, and Washington also face federal firearm charges, including possession and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to the indictment, Gadson was previously indicted in February for being a felon in possession of a firearm. In January 2019, ATF agents and Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies found a gun in his car while arresting him on an outstanding state trafficking marijuana warrant from 2016.
The maximum penalty for money laundering is 20 years in prison, while the mandatory minimum for possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms of marijuana is five years in prison. Gadson’s individual charges carry a 10-year mandatory minimum consecutive sentence for discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with the Irondale Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Birmingham Police Department, and Oxford Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Geer is prosecuting the case.
As of now, the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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