Cocaine Cash & Highway Stops: Wisconsin Man Busted in Texas

LUFKIN, TX – Henry Korvett Bams, 40, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is facing serious federal charges after a months-long investigation revealed a large-scale drug and money trafficking operation. Bams was arrested Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and engaging in interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of a Racketeering Enterprise.

The unraveling began July 6, 2014, when a Texas Department of Public Safety officer pulled Bams over on US Highway 259 in Nacogdoches County for a traffic violation. A search of his vehicle turned up a hefty $253,341 in cash, along with a small amount of marijuana. While initially arrested on state charges, those were dismissed, and the Nacogdoches County District Attorney’s office surprisingly returned all but $100,000 of the seized currency to Bams – a decision that now appears questionable.

Less than two weeks later, on July 22, 2014, Bams found himself facing another traffic stop, this time by Arkansas State Police in Hot Springs County. A consented search revealed the real prize: approximately ten kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden inside a secret compartment within the vehicle. Two bank deposit slips were also recovered, leading federal investigators to a trail of dirty money.

On August 1, 2014, agents with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration moved swiftly, executing a seizure warrant on the bank account detailed on those deposit slips. The result? Another $135,015.14 in suspected drug proceeds seized. The pieces were falling into place, painting a clear picture of Bams’s illicit activities.

If convicted, Bams faces a minimum of 10 years to life in federal prison for the drug distribution violation, and an additional five years for the interstate transportation in aid of racketeering. This wasn’t a one-off mistake; it was a calculated, multi-state operation designed to move drugs and launder profits.

The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Arkansas State Police, Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Baylor Wortham is prosecuting the case. It’s crucial to remember that these are allegations, and Bams is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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