HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Richard Fleming, a Chicago man, was sentenced today to four years and one month in federal prison for his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy spanning multiple states and international borders. The conviction follows a seven-year fugitive hunt after Fleming vanished before trial, only to be captured in Mexico in 2017.
Fleming previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the attempted distribution of 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. Authorities say he traveled to Putnam County, West Virginia, on March 12, 2010, to retrieve approximately $600,000 in drug proceeds tied to a failed March 5 shipment of over 300 kilograms of marijuana originating from a cartel-linked operation in Arizona and Mexico. Unbeknownst to him, law enforcement had already intercepted the narcotics.
When Fleming arrived in Putnam County, he met with an undercover officer posing as a courier, who handed him a duffel bag he believed contained $600,000 in illicit cash. He left the area and began driving back to deliver the money—only to be stopped by law enforcement in Kentucky. The bag was seized, and the operation unraveled further, leading to the prosecution of 15 other individuals involved in the network.
Fleming was initially charged in July 2010 and released on bond. On September 7, 2011, he failed to appear for trial, prompting a bench warrant. He remained a fugitive for over six years until his arrest in Mexico in August 2017. He admitted he fled the U.S. to evade justice.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart praised the multi-agency crackdown, highlighting cooperation between the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, Ohio and Indiana state police, Kentucky State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and even Mexico’s Policia Federal Ministerial. DEA agents from Charleston, Columbus, Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago, Denver, and Hermosillo also played pivotal roles.
“Drug criminals who think they can avoid prison by fleeing the country are dead wrong,” Stuart said. “If you run, we will work with our law enforcement partners to hunt you down and bring you to justice.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence, marking another blow in the Southern District of West Virginia’s ongoing war against organized drug networks.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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