Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced
that Zerisenay Gebregiorgis, 36, a Washington resident, was sentenced today in
Juneau by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve 121 months in
prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to
distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
Gebregiorgis was previously convicted in December 2017, following a
five-day jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, between June 1,
2016, and Aug. 16, 2016, Gebregiorgis and others planned to distribute large
quantities of heroin and methamphetamine in the communities of Ketchikan and
Sitka. Gebregiorgis supplied drugs to
drug couriers, who carried the drugs inside their bodies to other
co-conspirators in Ketchikan and Sitka for subsequent distribution. Drug proceeds were then given to the couriers
to be carried back to Seattle to be delivered to Gebregiorgis or deposited into
bank accounts controlled by Gebregiorgis.
According to court documents, Gebregiorgis supplied at least
one ounce of methamphetamine and at least 20 ounces of heroin during the course
of the conspiracy. Gebregiorgis directed
every aspect of the conspiracy, to include directing the amounts of drugs sent
to Alaska, the couriers who carried the drugs, the travel for those couriers,
and delivery of drug proceeds back to him via couriers and bank accounts
deposits.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the members of the Southeast Alaska
Cities Against Drugs Taskforce (SEACAD), specifically the members from the
Alaska State Troopers (AST), Ketchikan Police Department (KPD), and the Sitka
Police Department (SPD) conducted the investigation leading to the successful
prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted
by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment