Acting U. S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers of the District
of North Dakota, in conjunction with U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner of the
Eastern District of California, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem of North
Dakota, Special Agent in Charge Richard Thornton of the FBI’s Minneapolis
Division and Chief Greg Williamson of the Bakersfield Police Department,
announced the indictment of 22 individuals in western North Dakota and seven
defendants in Bakersfield, California.
On June 3, 2015, the Bakken Organized Crime Strike Force was
formally announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Myers, North Dakota Attorney General
Stenehjem, Director Bruce Ohr of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task
Force (OCDETF) and U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter of the District of Montana. The indictments are a result of Operation
Western Edge, an OCDETF investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine
and heroin from Bakersfield to the Bakken region.
“The strike force was designed to work as one unit to
identify, target and dismantle criminal organizations working in the Bakken,
and reach beyond the borders of North Dakota to ensure the entire criminal
organization is brought to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Myers. “After only a few months we are seeing the
efficiency, strength and extended reach provided by the strike force
model. The results here are exactly what
we hoped for when we designed the strike force.”
“Cross-jurisdictional cooperation is essential for effective
narcotics enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Wagner. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the District of North Dakota for its leadership in this case, and to
our state and federal law enforcement colleagues in both states for their
professionalism and assistance.”
“These are the results we can expect with the cooperative
efforts as exemplified by the Bakken Strike Force,” said North Dakota Attorney
General Stenehjem. “This investigation
involved over two years of diligent efforts by various state, local and federal
enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Criminal Investigation under my
authority. I am committed to continuing
our joint efforts with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, not just through
the Bakken Strike Force, but on other enforcement operations.”
“The FBI is committed to the security of the Bakken area of
North Dakota,” said Special Agent in Charge Thornton. “We will continue to aggressively investigate
organized crime wherever it may be found.
We will work with our law enforcement partners, through the Bakken
Organized Crime Strike Force, to ensure that those who engage in this type of
criminal activity pay a high price.”
“The Bakersfield Police Department is proud to have been a
part of this investigation,” said Chief Williamson. “Criminals pay no attention to jurisdictional
lines and when a criminal enterprise crosses several states it can quickly
exceed the resources of local agencies.
That’s when the capabilities of the federal authorities become
invaluable in making a difference in our city’s streets and neighborhoods. We are happy to have had this opportunity to
work with our law enforcement partners in North Dakota and the FBI. We are looking forward to assisting the U.S.
Attorney’s Office in North Dakota in following through and seeing justice done
in this matter.”
Defendants indicted in North Dakota:
Ronnie Ray Taylor,
43, of Bakersfield;
Terrance Darshay
Lynn Peterson, aka Turtle, 42, of Minot, North Dakota;
Victor Murillo,
aka Vic, 32, of Bakersfield;
Debra Meladore
Davis, 49, of Minot;
Bryan Keith Davis,
48, of Minot;
Regina Rose
Lehman, 43, of Minot;
Michael John
Gietl, 43, in federal custody;
Robert Raymond
Althaus, 44, of Minot;
Peggy Lee St.
Claire, 53, of Minot;
Jade Marie
Backman, 33, of Minot;
Jody Lee Deharty,
25, of Minot;
Ricky Dean
Strahan, 56, of Minot;
Gerald Wayne Osby
Jr., 22, of Minot;
James Alex
Locklear, 27, of Minot;
Alyssa Jo
Schlienz, 21, of Minot;
Audra Dezzari
Harris, 39, of Minot;
Gilbert Eugene
Graim Jr., 21, of Bakersfield;
Teoshalashanae M.
Songcuan, 24, of Bakersfield;
Deandre Trayvon
Peterson, 24, of Minot;
Jimmy Dale Price,
42, of Minot;
Miranda Leigh
Grant, 30, of Minot; and
Rodney Lee
Jackson, 49, Carson, California.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Volk is prosecuting these cases
for the District of North Dakota.
Defendants Indicted in the Eastern District of California:
Ricardo Cruz
Gomez, 23, of Bakersfield;
Marquiz Demitric
Tucker, 44, of Bakersfield;
Labrea Leshawn
Davis, 29, of Bakersfield;
Robin Lee, 25, of
Bakersfield;
Nina Johnson, 35,
of Bakersfield;
Michael Muniz, 43,
of Bakersfield; and
Ruben Valdez Jr.,
37, of Bakersfield.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Delaney is prosecuting these
cases for the Eastern District of California.
The indictments from both districts were recently unsealed
and are merely accusations; the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven
guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the North Dakota
Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Minot
Police Department, the Ward County, North Dakota, Sheriff’s Office, the Ward
County Narcotics Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Metro
Area Narcotics Task Force, the North Dakota Highway Patrol and the U.S. Border
Patrol.
No comments:
Post a Comment