Anchorage Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury on Drug Charges

June 21, 2010 - ANCHORAGE, AK—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that on June 17, 2010, Kenji Niko Simmons, of Anchorage, Alaska, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage on one count of distributing crack cocaine and one count of possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute.

The two-count indictment named Simmons, age 30, as the sole defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Kyle G. French, who is prosecuting the case, indicated that the possession with intent to distribute charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The distribution charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Under federal sentencing law, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses, the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant, and other factors.

The Anchorage Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.