An Alto man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, said Davilyn Walston, spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Robert Jessie Martin, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love on April 9, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Martin conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
Within the conspiracy, Martin manufactured and distributed methamphetamine-laced pills. Martin set up rotary tablet pill presses on his Alto (Cherokee County) property in order to manufacture and press out hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills that were then distributed throughout the United States for profit.
Martin recruited and supplied wholesale and mid-level distributors of the pills he manufactured.
On July 11, 2023, federal and state law enforcement executed a federal search and arrest warrant on Martin’s property located near Alto and seized five firearms, five rotary pill presses, 111.22 grams of actual methamphetamine, approximately 7,669 grams of methamphetamine in powder form, and 29,283 methamphetamine-laced pills.
Based on a federal complaint, Martin was also arrested for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.
Martin faces from 10 years to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); HSI Currency Narcotics Enforcement Team-Houston; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; the Jacksonville Police Department; and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen Hurst and Robert Austin Wells.
Florida woman pleads guilty to federal money laundering
A Jacksonville, Fla., woman has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, Walston said.
Sharena Seay, 39, pleaded guilty to money laundering before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love on April 11, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Seay laundered the proceeds of her drug trafficking operations through cryptocurrency. The defendant supplied alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), which is often called “flakka,” and similar synthetic cathinones, such as Eutylone or alpha-PiHP.
Seay distributed alpha-PVP and other controlled substances to various customers across the United States. Customers who purchased controlled substances from Seay paid for their purchases with cash.
Seay laundered the cash proceeds through cryptocurrency in order to purchase more controlled substances on the dark web and to conceal her criminal activity.
Seay faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The cases were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and D. Ryan Locker.