BRIDGEPORT, CT – Delroy Anderson, 57, known on the streets as “Max,” finally admitted guilt yesterday to running a sophisticated money laundering operation fueled by a multi-state marijuana empire. Anderson pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport, ending a years-long chase that included a fugitive stint in Texas.
For roughly five years, Anderson allegedly conspired with accomplices to wash the dirty money earned from his large-scale marijuana trafficking. Court documents reveal the scheme involved using drug profits to cover the costs of cultivation, shipping, electricity, and even air travel. He further masked the illegal funds by depositing them into accounts under the name Maximillion Enterprises Inc., and deliberately structuring deposits to dodge federal reporting requirements. Between 2015 and 2019, Anderson oversaw marijuana farms in Santa Rosa and Willits, California, employing a network to grow, harvest, package, and ship the product to dealers in Connecticut, Virginia, New York, and beyond.
The feds first hit Anderson, along with co-conspirators Kelvin Jackson and Stephanie Atkinson, with an indictment in February 2020, charging them with various money laundering offenses. But Anderson wasn’t sticking around for trial. Scheduled to enter a guilty plea on February 18, 2022, he vanished, cutting off contact with both his legal counsel and the U.S. Probation Office. It took the U.S. Marshals Service over a year and a half, but they finally tracked him down in Dallas, Texas, on November 8, 2023. He’s been locked up ever since.
Anderson’s guilty plea is for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. As part of the deal, Anderson has agreed to forfeit any claim to the bank accounts used to funnel the illicit funds. Judge Dooley set sentencing for September 16, giving Anderson time to reflect on his choices – and the consequences that are coming. His co-conspirators, Kelvin Jackson of Bristol, Virginia, and Stephanie Atkinson of Stamford, have also pleaded guilty to the same charge and are awaiting their own sentencing dates.
The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Stamford Police Department, and the Sonoma County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office, underscores the reach of organized crime and the dedication of law enforcement to dismantle these operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis are prosecuting the case through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, a federal initiative designed to target and dismantle drug trafficking networks.
OCDETF, according to the Department of Justice, employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach, leveraging the combined resources of federal, state, and local agencies. Those interested in learning more about the OCDETF program can find additional information at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case serves as a stark reminder that even complex, multi-state criminal enterprises will eventually face justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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