ALBANY, NEW YORK – Lateek White, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded responsible at the moment to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cash laundering.
United States Lawyer Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Particular Agent in Cost of the New York Area Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Particular Agent in Cost, US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Matthew Scarpino, Particular Agent in Cost of the Workplace of Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) in Buffalo, made the announcement.
White admitted that he was a member of a marijuana and THC trafficking group that shipped 1000’s of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno, California, to areas all through the USA, together with New York Metropolis and the Capital Area, between 2017 and June 2022. He additionally admitted to laundering marijuana proceeds for the group.
The packages of marijuana had been shipped through UPS and FedEx from a transport retailer in Fresno, Quick Pack & Ship, by Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” and McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie” . White acquired the packages of marijuana in, amongst different locations, his residence in Brooklyn; her sister, Onisha Smith, additionally acquired packages of marijuana in her condo and a close-by condo in Brooklyn. In whole, White and Smith acquired 71 packages containing roughly 294 kilograms, or 648 kilos, of marijuana.
White additionally laundered marijuana proceeds for the group by depositing cash into Singletary's checking account within the identify “Daddy Ds Boutique,” which was an alleged clothes enterprise. When he deposited the cash, White knew that Daddy Ds Boutique was not an actual clothes enterprise and he deposited the cash to hide the character and supply of the marijuana proceeds and to additional the marijuana trafficking conspiracy.
White faces at the very least 10 years and as much as life in jail; as much as $8.5 million in fines; and post-release supervision time period between 8 years and life. The defendant's sentence is imposed by a choose based mostly on the actual statute the defendant is accused of violating, the US Sentencing Pointers and different elements.
White was charged in an indictment together with Singletary, Coles, Smith and 20 others alleging marijuana distribution and conspiracy to commit cash laundering, firearms offenses and different crimes. Singletary, Coles, and Smith have pleaded not responsible and are presumed harmless except and till confirmed responsible. The accusations within the indictment are simply accusations.
Along with White, seven different defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Sammy Olague, Victor Turner, Kristle Walker, Ruby Ledesma and Jazell Shuler, have pleaded responsible and are awaiting sentencing.
The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Division and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant US Attorneys Cyrus PW Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is a part of an investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Process Power (OCDETF). The OECDTF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, cash launderers, gangs and transnational felony organizations that threaten the USA utilizing a prosecutor-led, multi-agency method intelligence, which leverages the strengths of the federal authorities, state and native legislation enforcement businesses towards felony networks.
