Coquese Alcorn, 65, Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in Federal Court
PITTSBURGH – Coquese Alcorn, a 65-year-old resident of Antioch, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of violating federal money laundering laws in federal court, announced United States Attorney David J. Hickton.
The investigation, led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the DEA, revealed a major cocaine distribution conspiracy that operated from 2000 through 2010. The conspiracy, which involved over 2000 kilograms of cocaine and millions in laundered drug money, had Robert Russell Spence, Jr. as its local fulcrum in Pittsburgh.
According to the investigation, the conspiracy involved various cocaine sources over time and changed its common manner of doing business. Initially, the conspiracy utilized packages of cocaine being shipped by the US mail or various common carriers from California to recipients such as Spence in Pittsburgh.
However, the conspiracy soon switched to using couriers to transport cocaine to Pittsburgh and money back to California. Between 2007 and 2010, at least 11 different couriers took approximately 200 flights for the conspiracy, involving the transportation of cocaine and drug money.
During this period, multiple packages of both money and cocaine were intercepted. For example, in February 2008, co-defendant Ruben Mitchell boarded a plane in Oakland bound for Pittsburgh with cocaine in his luggage. The bag was mistakenly removed from the plane during a layover in Las Vegas, where airline employees discovered it contained 19 kilograms of cocaine.
The investigation also revealed that the conspiracy arranged transportation of cocaine or money by means such as chartered private flights and vehicles, including tractor trailers. Individuals indicted thus far involve many different roles within the conspiracy, including suppliers, couriers, recipient drug dealer/distributors, and money launderers.
Related Federal Cases
- Detroit Federal Agents, Money Laundering, Detroit MI, 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Christopher Furman, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering, Pittsburgh PA,… · Pennsylvania
- Defendant Unknown, Money Laundering Investigation, Washington DC, 2023 · Washington
- Moises Alberto Yanez, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Tulsa … · Texas
- Jared K. Weinberg, Money Laundering, Pittsburgh PA, 2023 · District of Columbia
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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