Troy Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jazell Shuler, age 35, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana and launder money.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Chief Daniel DeWolf of the Troy Police Department; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Shuler admitted to being a member 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. Shuler also admitted to laundering marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization.
The packages of marijuana were shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store in Fresno, Fast Pack & Ship, by Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” and McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie.” At the direction of David Singletary, aka “DB,” Shuler received packages of marijuana at her and David Singletary’s respective residences in Troy and notified David Singletary when the packages arrived. Shuler also packaged marijuana for sale.
The marijuana was sold out of “knock spots” in the Capital Region, which advertised various strains and quantities of marijuana and THC “edibles” for sale, with prices, on white boards. The defendant worked at the “knock spots” and updated the information on the white board for David Singletary. In addition to working at the “knock spots,” Shuler sold marijuana.
The defendant also laundered marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization by sending $13,500 in money transfers purchased with cash drug proceeds from Troy to six people in Fresno, Windsor, and Merced, California, including Nehemiah Fane, aka “Neil,” and James Tyrell Daniels, aka “Red” and “Ghost.” David Singletary provided Shuler with the cash drug proceeds for the money transfers.
Shuler faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts to which she pled guilty, conspiring to distribute marijuana 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 3 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.
Shuler was charged in an indictment with Dwight and David Singletary, McKenzie Coles, Fane, Daniels and 18 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Dwight Singletary, David Singletary, McKenzie Coles, Fane, and Daniels have pled not guilty, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations.
In addition to Shuler, five other defendants, Rosemary Coles, Latrice Mumphrey, Sammy Olague, Victor Turner, and Kristle Walker, 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.
