ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – In a shocking case of narcotics trafficking and financial deception, Billy Cooks, 36, aka ‘Red Dollaz,’ has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sayers-Fay, Cooks and Dawud Johnson, a previously convicted co-conspirator, forged a drug trafficking partnership that centered on methamphetamine shipments from Las Vegas to Anchorage. Cooks enlisted E’lala Frank, another co-conspirator, to send the methamphetamine through the mail to contacts Johnson had in Alaska.
Between December 2, 2013, and January 21, 2014, the conspirators sent three packages of methamphetamine. However, their operation was thwarted when they attempted to send the third package.
Cooks and Frank admitted to conspiring to transmit drug trafficking proceeds through various means to obscure the fact that the funds were from drug trafficking. The conspirators deposited and withdrew drug trafficking proceeds using at least two bank accounts.
The charges carry severe penalties: Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance carries a sentence of up to 40 years and a fine not to exceed $5,000,000. The money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum 20-year sentence and a $500,000 fine.
Sentencing for both defendants is set for February 27, 2015. Dawud Johnson, a previously convicted co-conspirator, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The guilty plea deals another blow to the ongoing struggle against narcotics trafficking in Alaska. As Grimy Times continues to expose the dark underbelly of crime, it is clear that law enforcement agencies will not hesitate to take down those involved in such illicit activities.
Defendant: Billy Cooks
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine), Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
City and State: Anchorage, Alaska
Date: December 2, 2013, to January 21, 2014 (crime date), February 27, 2015 (sentencing date)
Sentence or Outcome: Up to 40 years in prison, fine not to exceed $5,000,000
Dollar Amounts: $5,000,000
Related Federal Cases
- Robert Craggs, Methamphetamine and Heroin Distribution and Money Laundering, California 2016 · Alaska
- Mitchell Zong, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Alaska 2024 · Alaska
- Pauline Tilton, Oxycodone Distribution and Money Laundering, California 2017 · North Carolina
- Juan Lazareno, Methamphetamine Distribution, Utah 2023 · Idaho
- Dennis Joseph Machado, Methamphetamine Distribution, California 2015 · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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