KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On May 15, 2024, a federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee, returned a 21-count indictment against nine defendants. The individuals indicted are Jamal Witcher, 35, of Mansfield, Ohio; Taeshawn Witcher, 18, of Detroit, Michigan; Skyler Anthony Starkey Steward, 18, of Mansfield, Ohio; Ricky Lynn Coffey, 36, of Bean Station, Tennessee; Keshon Lee, 27, of Detroit, Michigan; Emani Mason, 25, of Detroit, Michigan; Gianna Ryan, 22, of New Castle, Pennsylvania; Payton English, 27, of Mooresburg, Tennessee; and Bernie Smallwood, 62, of Mooresburg, Tennessee.
The indictment charges all the defendants with a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. Additional charges include possession with intent to distribute or distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl for Jamal Witcher, Taeshawn Witcher, Steward, Coffey, Lee, Mason, and Ryan, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). Coffey also faces charges for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm with a silencer in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Jamal Witcher, Taeshawn Witcher, and Steward are also charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jamal Witcher faces an additional charge of money laundering. English and Smallwood are charged with maintaining drug-involved premises.
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The indictment was unsealed after the last of the defendants appeared in court on September 25, 2024, before the Honorable Debra C. Poplin, United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. All defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the trial is set for November 19, 2024, before the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court at Knoxville.
Upon conviction, Jamal Witcher, Taeshawn Witcher, and Steward each face a statutory mandatory minimum term of 15 years and up to life in prison. Coffey faces a statutory mandatory minimum term of 40 years and up to life in prison. Lee, Mason, Ryan, and Smallwood each face a statutory mandatory minimum term of ten years and up to life in prison. English faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee announced the indictment. The case is a result of an investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the 313 Initiative, which aims to dismantle drug trafficking groups from the Detroit area operating in Knox County and surrounding areas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: Read Original Release
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