A California man has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a large-scale drug and money laundering conspiracy that spanned from California to Alaska. Robert Craggs pleaded guilty on May 27, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and conspiracy to launder money.
According to court documents, Craggs has a long history of violating laws related to illegal drug possession, trafficking, and money laundering. Between January 2013 and July 2014, Craggs entered into an agreement with Joseph Cecil to distribute methamphetamine and heroin throughout Alaska. Cecil, a long-time drug trafficker, orchestrated a system where drugs were sent to Alaska from California, and Craggs took possession of these drugs with the intent to distribute them in Alaska communities.
Craggs conspired with Cecil to launder the proceeds of the drug sales in an attempt to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the funds. Craggs and Stacy Johnson laundered money for Cecil, knowing that the money represented the proceeds of drug sales. They used a series of bank accounts to move money made from the sale of heroin and methamphetamine, depositing proceeds in Alaska and withdrawing them in California. In other instances, Cecil instructed Craggs and Johnson to send drug sale proceeds via Western Union and Money Gram wire transfers.
The money laundering activity further supported the distribution of heroin and methamphetamine in Alaska. Documents presented to the court noted that methamphetamine and heroin trafficking is a scourge that destroys lives, and that drug trafficking has no socially redeeming quality. The court stated that it is a crime that deserves the most severe form of social condemnation.
Craggs’ co-conspirators have also been sentenced as part of these efforts. Joseph Cecil, aka “Kevin Dupree,” was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, and conspiracy to launder money. Stacy Johnson was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to launder money. Other co-conspirators, including Paul Robson, Jennifer Henry, and Shawn Seaman, have also received prison sentences for their roles in the conspiracy.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephan Collins, Lead Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Attorney for the District of Alaska. The case was investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced Craggs’ sentence, which includes three years of supervised release following his prison term.
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Key Facts
- State: Alaska
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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