INDIANAPOLIS — A federal grand jury has indicted 15 people, including four men from Indiana, on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
The indictment alleges the organization used commercial trucking and airplanes to ship tractor-trailer loads of marijuana to warehouses and other commercial locations in various states, including Indiana.
Ten people are reported to be in custody with five still at large.
The indictment charges the defendants, most of whom are from California and Florida, with conspiracy to distribute truckloads of marijuana and THC-containing products and to launder the cash proceeds from the drug sales.
Adewale Adediran, the alleged leader of the four-state conspiracy, was also charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.
Nathan Canary, of Indianapolis, was also charged with firearms offenses by a convicted felon, in addition to the drug and money laundering charges.
Also indicted from Indiana were:
- Stephen Lamar Richardson, 51, Noblesville, charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana
- Richard Davis, 32, Fishers, charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana
- Rafael Smith, 30, Fortville, charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana
The charges announced Friday followed a weeklong effort by federal agents working with state and local law enforcement in Indiana, California, Kentucky and Florida.
The arrests also involved seizure of drugs and drug sale proceeds at 23 locations in three states, plus more than a dozen bank accounts and a "trove of high-end jewelry," according to a Department of Justice news release.
According to the indictment, from 2016 until this year, Adediran, from Orange, California, and the drug trafficking organization he led used "commercial-level logistics and warehousing" to distribute large quantities of marijuana throughout the United States and collect "millions of dollars in cash proceeds."
Adediran was arrested in California and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service.
Seized in the investigation include:
- Almost $40 million in drugs, cash and assets from the sale of drugs
- More than 3 tons of marijuana and THC-containing products valued at over $10 million
- More than a dozen firearms
- A private jet valued at $900,000
- 2 Rolls-Royce automobiles, 2 Bentleys, a Ford GT and a Lamborghini valued at $2 million
- $8 million in jewelry
- Artwork and collectible items valued at $850,000
- 9 pieces of real estate valued at $10 million
If convicted on the conspiracy with intent to distribute marijuana charges, each person faces between 10 years to life imprisonment, no less than five years supervised release, and a $10,000,000 fine.
If convicted on the continuing criminal enterprise charge, Adediran faces a mandatory 20 years up to lifetime imprisonment, no more than five years supervised release, and a $2,000,000 fine.
If convicted on the money laundering charge, each person faces up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties.
