Three Plead Guilty in Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies

ALBANY, NEW YORK - James Tyrell Daniels, aka "Red" and "Ghost," 40, of Fresno, California, Consanga Harris, aka "Sondy," 63, of Troy, New York, and Earnest Flood, aka "Pop," 66, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty yesterday 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.

In pleading guilty, Daniels, Harris, and Flood all 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.

In pleading guilty, Daniels admitted to working with, among others, Dwight A. Singletary II, aka "Nutt" and "Mike Jones," to cultivate marijuana in two grow houses behind his home and in a commercial warehouse in Fresno. The marijuana grow in the warehouse was financed in substantial part by Singletary, and on June 15, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the warehouse and seized, among other things, 424 marijuana plants at various stages of maturity in five commercial-grow rooms. Video footage from a DVR for a surveillance system seized from the warehouse depicted, among other things, Daniels tending to the marijuana plants and bringing supplies into the warehouse with Singletary. In addition to growing marijuana, Daniels purchased and resold large quantities of marijuana and sold THC "edibles."

Daniels and other members of the organization shipped the marijuana and THC edibles through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store, Fast Pack & Ship, in Fresno. Sammy Olague owned and operated Fast Pack & Ship from 2016 through June 2018, when he sold the business to Nehemiah Fane, aka "Neil." In April 2020, Fane transferred ownership of Fast Pack & Ship to McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka "Kenzie," who operated Fast Pack & Ship through M.M.M.C. Management, Inc. Daniels managed Fast Pack & Ship when it was owned by Fane and ran the day-to-day operations of the business with Fane.

The packages of marijuana, which reflected the names of fake shippers, were shipped from Fast Pack & Ship to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region, New York City, and other parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, Nevada, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The marijuana in the packages was contained in dog food containers and luggage, and the packages were often sealed with eBay packing tape in an effort to avoid detection by law enforcement. Between April 2017 and June 2022, approximately 1,292 packages containing approximately 7,068 kilograms, or 15,582 pounds, of marijuana were shipped from Fast Pack & Ship to the Capital Region alone.

Daniels admitted to working with Fane and others to launder marijuana proceeds for Singletary and other members of the organization, including through bank accounts maintained by Fane in the name of Fast Pack & Ship and Fast Pack & Ship, LLC, which Fane organized in 2019. Daniels also laundered marijuana proceeds through bank accounts he owned and controlled, including business accounts held by his company BRDL, LLC, and by receiving money transfers in Fresno purchased with cash marijuana proceeds.

Harris admitted to receiving packages of marijuana shipped by Singletary and Coles from Fast Pack & Ship at her home in Troy. Harris was notified of the packages of marijuana by Coles and Isiah Ti-Quan Clements, aka "Zay," and was paid between $300 and $400 in cash per package of marijuana received. Between March 2018 and May 2022, Harris received 90 packages containing approximately 700 kilograms, or 1,543 pounds, of marijuana.

Flood admitted to receiving packages of marijuana shipped by Singletary and Coles from Fast Pack & Ship at his home in Richmond and to selling the marijuana. Flood coordinated the shipments of marijuana with Onisha Smith, who in turn coordinated with Singletary. After selling the marijuana, Flood deposited cash marijuana proceeds into his bank account and transferred the funds to Smith, who in turn transferred payment for the marijuana to Singletary through Zelle and Cash App.

Daniels, who has a prior serious violent felony conviction, faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison, a term of post-release supervision of at least ten years and up to life, and a fine of up to $20 million for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He also faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for conspiring to commit money laundering.

If United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby accepts the parties' agreed-upon disposition at sentencing, Daniels will be sentenced to 180 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release.

Harris faces up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of between three years and life, and a fine of up to $1 million for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Flood faces up to up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for conspiring to commit money laundering and up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He also faces a term of supervised release of between two 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.

Daniels, Harris, and Flood were charged in an indictment with Singletary, Coles, Fane, Olague, Smith, and 16 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Singletary, Coles, and Fane have pled not guilty and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.

In addition to Daniels, Harris, and Flood, Olague, Smith, and seven other defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Sammy Olague, Victor Turner, Kristle Walker, Ruby Ledesma, and Jazell Shuler, 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.