Two Plead Guilty in Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Lawrence Mumphrey, aka "L," age 45, of Albany, and Niara Banks, aka "Nie," age 32, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to offenses related to their involvement in nationwide marijuana trafficking and money laundering conspiracies.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Mumphrey and Banks admitted to being members of a marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) trafficking organization that cultivated marijuana on a commercial scale in Fresno, California, and shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region of New York.

Banks admitted to receiving packages of marijuana shipped by Dwight A. Singletary, II, aka "Nutt" and "Mike Jones," and McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka "Kenzie," from a shipping store in Fresno, Fast Pack & Ship, at her home in Troy and another home in Albany. Banks was notified of the packages of marijuana by Dwight Singletary and David Singletary, aka "DB," and typically notified David Singletary, who retrieved the packages, when they arrived. Banks also sold marijuana, which she obtained from Dwight and David Singletary.

Between September 2020 and March 2022, Banks received 33 packages containing approximately 133 kilograms (293 pounds) of marijuana at her home in Troy and the other home in Albany.

Banks also admitted to laundering marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization by purchasing cashier's checks with cash drug proceeds. Federal law requires financial institutions to complete a currency transaction report for cash transactions over $10,000. To avoid the reporting requirement and otherwise conceal the cash drug proceeds, Banks purchased seven cashier's checks in amounts slightly below the reporting threshold for cash transactions with $65,880 in cash drug proceeds. The cashier's checks were payable to Dwight Singletary; Dwight Singletary's company, DAS Empire, Inc.; and a person from whom Dwight Singletary and DAS Empire purchased real estate.

Mumphrey admitted to receiving packages of marijuana shipped from Fast Pack & Ship at his apartment in Albany and to selling marijuana and THC "edibles" for the organization out of a "knock spot" in Troy. In searching the "knock spot" in January 2022, law enforcement discovered 29 pounds of marijuana, which was in several plastic shelves with sticky notes denoting the strain and price of the marijuana, and in a backpack. The "knock spot" also contained $3,953 in cash, several digital scales, a large safe with a bulletproof vest, and a box shipped from Fast Pack & Ship to Mumphrey at his apartment in Albany.

In June 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mumphrey's apartment in Albany and discovered, among other things, a dogfood container with approximately eight pounds of marijuana in a room in the basement. In the same room, law enforcement discovered a Ruger model AR-556 5.56x45mm caliber semiautomatic rifle, a 5.56x45mm caliber semiautomatic rifle with no serial number, an Anderson model AM-15 5.56x45mm caliber semiautomatic rifle with no serial number, and a Taurus 9mm caliber pistol with no serial number, and assorted ammunition. Mumphrey possessed the firearms to protect the organization's marijuana, THC edibles, and drug proceeds, including from potential robbers.

Between February 2020 and June 2022, 74 packages containing approximately 341 kilograms (752 pounds) of marijuana were shipped from Fast Pack & Ship to Mumphrey at his apartment in Albany.

Mumphrey also admitted to laundering drug proceeds for the organization. Between March 2020 and June 2022, Mumphrey purchased 14 cashier's checks in amounts slightly below the reporting threshold for cash transactions with $132,270 in cash drug proceeds. Mumphrey also gave cash drug proceeds to two other members of the organization for use in purchasing cashier's checks in amounts slightly below the reporting threshold.

Banks faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts to which she pled guilty, conspiring to distribute marijuana and THC and conspiring to commit money laundering; fines of up to $1 million and $500,000, respectively, on each count; and a term of supervised release of between three years and life.

Mumphrey faces a total of at least 10 years in prison and up to life on the three counts to which he pled guilty, conspiring to distribute marijuana and THC, conspiring to commit money laundering, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; a total of $5.75 million in fines; and a term of supervised release of between four years and life.

A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Banks and Mumphrey were charged in an indictment with Dwight Singletary, David Singletary, Coles, and 19 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Dwight Singletary, David Singletary, and Coles have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.

In addition to Banks and Mumphrey, 14 other defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Sammy Olague, Victor Turner, Kristle Walker, Ruby Ledesma, Lateek White, Onisha Smith, Jazell Shuler, Earnest Flood, aka "Pop,"Consanga Harris, aka "Sondy,"James Tyrell Daniels, aka "Red" and "Ghost,"LaFay Pearson, aka "Lala," and Alyssa June White previously pled guilty and are pending sentencing.

The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.