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28 charged in Canadatown methamphetamine conspiracy
Posted On 29 Jul 2013
A joint investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kentucky State Police and Williamsburg police has culminated in the indictment of 28 people in connection with an alleged large-scale methamphetamine-involved conspiracy in the Canadatown community of Whitley County.
Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird admits that in most drug round-ups, he doesn’t think the round-up puts much of a dent in the drug problem, but he said this case is an exception.
"We are taking 28 individuals out of that community that were manufacturing methamphetamine," Bird noted. "I think we put a serious dent in meth manufacturing in the Canadatown community."
Lisa Canada Ball, 49; James Russell Bennett, 39; Bobby Darrell Canada II, 26; Wendell Ralph Canada, 31; Ryan David Carlson, 36; Anna M. Davis, 24; David Allen Davis, 29; Aaron David Ellison, 35; Jamie Mark Gibson, 41; Robert Joe Gibson, 23; William Joseph Helbig Jr., 36; George Thomas Hubbard, 49; James Forest Manning, 35; Michelle Lynn Manning, 33; Wayne Carl Marcus, 32; Daniel John Moeser, 44; Mark A. Morrow, 46; Harrison B. Sulfridge, 33; Jerry Wayne White, 36; Joanna Cansler, 55; Teanna Marie Cansler, 33; Robert Martin Church, 27; Danny Lee Fyffe, 49; Suzann Judy Phillips, 49; Billy Ray Richardson, 35; Anthony Levi Rose, 32; Jason Wade Taylor, 31; and Beverly Wilson, 28; were all indicted in U.S. District Court on July 25 and the indictment was unsealed Monday.
The 28 allegedly conspired together with others to knowingly and intentionally manufacture 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, according to their indictment.
If convicted, the defendants each face no less than 10 years in federal prison and possibly a sentence of up lifetime imprisonment, in addition to a $10 million fine and not less than five years of supervised release.
If any of the 28 people have prior felony drug convictions, their minimum sentence would be 20 years behind bars.
Over a two-year period, the group is accused of "cooking" or making methamphetamine or conspiring to make methamphetamine at 21 different locations most of which were in the Canadatown area, Bird said.
The indictment targeted not only those manufacturing the meth, but also those supplying the ingredients used to make it.
19 of the defendants are accused of manufacturing methamphetamine.
Nine others are accused of aiding in the conspiracy or "smurfing" as law enforcement officials refer to it.
Bird described "smurfs" as usually drug users, who shop for meth cooks buying pseudoephedrine, batteries, and other items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
In exchange for purchasing the items, once the meth cook completes a batch of meth, then the "smurf" gets a portion of the finished product, Bird said.
"A lot of these individuals who have been arrested, a lot of them are multiple felony offenders," Bird said. "We’re not just talking meth cooks here, we’re talking robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts that community has been plagued with all that."
While 20 of the defendants were already in custody on various charges, authorities from the Williamsburg Police Department, ATF, Kentucky State Police, U.S. Marshal’s Service and others hit the streets early Monday morning searching for the remaining eight defendants.
Before dawn Monday, police arrested Carlson, Jamie Gibson, and Sulfridge.
Later that morning authorities arrested Phillips, Hubbard, Davis, Helbig and Bennett.
Explosive device
While allegations in the indictment date back nearly two and one-half years, police say the investigation gained momentum after a visit by Kentucky Probation and Parole Officers in March 2013 to the residence of Lisa Ball and Dan Moeser on Nanny Hubbard Road in the Canadatown community.
During the visit, probation and parole officers discovered what they believed to be a meth lab at the residence and called Williamsburg police for assistance.
When Williamsburg police arrived, they also found a suspected explosive device inside the residence in close proximity to the active meth lab, according to a press release.
After the explosive device was found, Williamsburg police asked for assistance from ATF and the Kentucky State Police Hazardous Device Unit.
ATF determined that the device was a binary explosive mixture containing ammonium nitrate and other items and that it had two electric detonators.
The KSP Hazardous Device Unit disabled the explosive device and removed the meth lab from the residence. Police arrested Ball, Moeser and Jerry White at the residence.
Bird said that to his knowledge, he doesn’t know why the explosive device was made.
"The subsequent investigation turned up a large-scale conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in the Canadatown community," authorities noted in a press release.
"It is believed that the defendants conspired to manufacture meth daily for over two years producing several thousand grams of methamphetamine. It was common for these defendants to ‘cook’ meth while driving in their cars through this community or even while walking along public roadways with a ‘bottle cook’ in their pocket or hand."
Bird noted that all 21 locations where the defendants made meth were located in fairly close proximity to one another.
"They all knew each other. They all worked in concert with each other," Bird said. "It is especially large scale, especially for that community."
Bird noted that he anticipates more arrests will probably be made in conjunction with the investigation before it is completed.
Bird said that this is the largest methamphetamine manufacturing conspiracy, which his department has been a part of dismantling.
Bird added that quite a bit of methamphetamine from the Canadatown community reaches Williamsburg.
"Most of what happens in the county filters into the city so I would say quite a bit," Bird said. "A couple of these individuals were actually living in the city now."
Cooperation key
Bird said that cooperation between the state, federal and local agencies is vital, particularly for investigations of this nature.
"This investigation wouldn’t be possible without cooperation and all the agencies working together. It is extremely vital," Bird added.
"We want to thank the sheriff’s department for their assistance and cooperation in the investigation and the commonwealth attorney’s office. We particularly want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for taking such a tough stand on these type of cases. This community really needed it and the U.S. Attorney’s Office really stepped up and took a stand on these guys."
For additional details about the case and the charges, read Wednesday’s edition of the News Journal.
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He is in Milan Michigan
Can someone tell me where Jamie Gibson might
be? Which Prison was he sent to?
I want to see pictures of him
The truth of the matter is drugs plaque every town and community in the country, some worse than others, but ask yourself one question. Would they really be so bad if you could legally do them? Think of the crime rate of the entire country, it would literally be cut by greater than 50%. The majority of inmates and convicts in this country are there for drugs. We live in The United States of America (home of the free!), but yet we don’t have the right to treat our own body however we want? Who’s right is it, to tell you what and what not to put in your body? Maybe instead of War on Drugs, next it will be the War on Cheeseburgers.. there bad for you right? Let me educate the naive or unknowledged folks of southeastern Ky. The Government wants people to make drugs.. Hell, the majority of the Cocaine and Heroin are brought in by the government. Why you ask? Besides for the insane amount of money that is brought in by government officials for the institutionalization of Drug offenders, is CONTROL. A way to control population aka “population control” each arrest that an officer/gov official makes, either rewards itself by a fine (money that goes straight to the government. cause taking money from the poor is a great way to punish Us) or another inmate/convict, for each inmate/convict a corrections institution has they receive a set amount of money each month. That’s right! Your government makes money of EVERY person in jail/prison. But the worse part comes from the aftermath of that specific individual being Held from society. Every mother or father that gets sent away, leaves there significant other/child and or childeren in a state of financial and emotional devestation with only one option, to depend on the government for support in order to be able to survive. Eventually the government controls how much you eat a month, where you live and even if your allowed to live there, how much money you make a month, how/what/when/where your allowed to be medically treated, how to raise your child… how much you can see your child.. if your even allowed to see your child! (ill not even get into what a crock of **** most child support laws are) How generous our government is… all the help “lol” they give us. They don’t even pay for any of it, all the hard workers out there do against there will. Its one big fat stinking money making/control scheme and the cops and robbers are just the pawns in a huge game of chess. Don’t get me wrong now ppl, I LOVE my country, i just hate my government! the rich get rich and the poor get poorer, or put in jail. P.S. For all the haters that are gonna hate, look this stuff up first b4 you run that governlovin mouth! 😀 If all of our work wasn’t sent to China to be done in sweat shops, I’d might actually have a job, and not sitting here on my fat arse, unemployed talking all this crap! Go Colonels and Check mate Obama!
The record shows that “500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, according to their indictment”.
This sure sounds like some poor old folks (500 grams). These poor old folks had 500 grams the day they were arrested and they have been cooking for two years or more. The arrest records in the Whitley District Clerk’s office shows that many of these same drug dealers were arrested years and years ago (always let out of jail) and arrested again and again. One gram of meth is sold for $100.00 x 500 = $50,000.00. I understand the drug dealers may look like they have no money and I bet they don’t have money. I also know these same cookers have been arrested many times before but always let back out to cook more. If your on meth you will do anything for your next fix even cook for others. I’m just saying money would mean very little to a person hooked on drugs. I also understand 500 grams is way to much meth for just Canada Town. My point is way have the same drug cookers/dealers been let out of jail so many times? If you don’t understand what I am saying then just see if the fed’s let them out this easy.
Can someone please tell me if the 3rd District of Whitley County is next. I understand Whitley County Police Chief Charles Davis and District Constable Jim Thornton has asked for help with the drugs in this area. I sure hope that the ATF helps these find police officers out. If I were a drug dealer I would be moving of Whitley County just knowing Chuck and Jim has my name. These two officers have done so many great things to keep drugs away from our youth don’t you agree? I sure hope they keep up the good work and ATF finds out about them both so they can get a just award.
Dear Who Would Have Though,
If it sadden you so bad for these children and you knew these “Poor Old Folks” so well. I would like to know why did you not do something to help the children and these poor old folks before all this?
Mexican violators are increasingly using local manufacturers as primary suppliers of methamphetamine in rural Kentucky.
As they have done in Tennessee, Mexican organizations working along with bicker gangs infiltrate to firmly establish a customer base. This process is currently underway in rural Kentucky.
Is it true these poor old drug dealers have been arrested time after time and nothing was done? I understand for years this has been going on and by the same poor old folks. Why! I suppose I am the only one who wants to know how these poor old folks got out of jail and back on the street every time by the same Judge. Wayne Bird had to bring in the Feds so he could get them off the street and in jail. You will wake up someday when your son or daughter dies from drugs.
None of these people are bringing in anywhere close to a million on selling meth. They are poor folks, trying to make a quick buck and probably cook the meth they themselves are addicted too. I know several of these people and I know where they live. It saddens me to know so many children have been exposed to meth labs in our area. No wonder SE Kentucky has such a bad name, its earned by winners just like these.
None of these people are bringing in anywhere close to a million on selling meth. They are poor folks, trying to make a quick buck and probably cook the meth they themselves are addicted too. I know several of these people and I know where they live. It saddens me to know so many children have been exposed to meth labs in our area. No wonder SE Kentucky has such a bad name, its earned by winners just like these.
Well if everyone will do there homework and check into where most of these people live and what houses they live in and what local org built them for these some multi offenders others meth sellers and meth cookers makes one question the qualifications to get a house through this org
I am so proud and grateful for the wonderful men and women of our state, fed., county police dept’s, and the Williamsburg dept. (Wayne Bird and gang). What an amazing, effective, brave group of Americans they are!!! THEY are the best of America and WHY we are still # 1! For all those who wish to do us harm, you have seen that YOU are the losers of the world, and you will NEVER be anything except the sick, depraved drug dealers that you are…God bless America! I wish to also think Kentucky’s Probation and Parole Officer for her work in this case. Without her brave attention this may have never happened. I do believe God answer’s our prayers. This will be a turning point for Whitley County. I can see the police taking all these drug dealers to Federal Court not State Court. I must say I also wish to think our Whitley County Operation Unite. I would love to see many more people join Unite and come to the meetings. The men and women of Whitley County can “UNITE” and now’s the time.
Please help yourself and our children of Whitley County. Thank a policeman today.
Misty Cordell
Good job by law enforcement. One always hopes they are honest and doing the right thing as in not being corrupt. A town like canadatown should have policed theirselves. Since a lot of the community and the offenders are related, someone, or group, or leaders should have took action to emphasze to relatives that their actions were leading to failure. It is hard to understand why people have no vision for success in a town where so many related people could have pulled together to do good and help others prosper.
The breakup of this ring or society is a must for this community. The lifestyle is unsustainable and a cancer to the neighborhood. Yes these offenders are poor and users but tbey reaped easy money that they partied away and didn’t care about their families or theirselves. A lifestyle of waste and destruction on all levels built on lies to everyone and theirselves finally imploded but just because they are hopefully put away for a long time doesn’t end the struggle because a lot of them left kids behind who will now have to overcome many other hurdles that they normally wouldnt have had to in a decent family setting..
Look around and see who the rich are in Williamsburg or Whitley County. You will not have to look hard. I understand what has been said but I also see a few very rich people in Williamsburg. Narcotrafficker is a person who controls a sizable network of persons involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they might never be directly in possession of something illegal, but are insulated from the actual trade in drugs by several layers of underlings. The prosecution of the real people behind the operation is therefore usually the result of carefully planned infiltrations of their networks, often using informants. I looked up many of these arrested and they have been arrested time and time again. I can’t see how they could still be out on the streets. I also wonder why this time they were charged by the Fed’s not the state. All this makes me think what was going on in Canada Town. It only makes sense something was going on for these drug dealers to be let out of jail so many times. I am going to see what the Federal Courts do and then maybe I will see. To much meth in one small area. This may be the end or the beginning.
Let’s get real. $11.4 million? Really? Do these people look like millionaires? Or like they may be at least getting a small percentage of these supposed millions? No not at all. They are all of them impoverished drug addicts and most of them would-be burglars. The most money involved in this case is the tax money spent to orchestrate this bust. Meth takes a terrible toll on anyone around it and any community they interact with, that is un-debatable. I feel for the children of these folks knowing what they must have been exposed to. I am thankful for the fact that robberies will certainly decrease with the incarceration of some of them. If as a result of this, just one overdose is averted or a life ruined by addiction finds the right path due to a lack of supply it will be tax money well spent. That being said let’s get real. This is not a Canadatown cartel, these are not drug lords. The drug lords here have an M.D. after their name. These people are a representation of the typical drug community we have here, I am very sceptical of the level of organization implied in this case and I simply don’t believe any of them have ever seen profit any where close to 11.4 million.
To keep the industry booming, meth manufacturers need supplies, workers and cooking locations, and from a drug lord’s perspective, the Canada Town could be a prime place in which to operate. Local operators can blend into the population. Canada Town would offer a rural setting for manufacturing without drawing attention, and yet it’s close to major population centers and transportation routes. Chronically high jobless rates ensure a ready work force for what amounts to highly lucrative, if exceedingly dangerous, work. This meth was on the move. Just how did this operation go on so long?
Meth has a cost/profit ratio that would engender envy in almost any business. Before it’s sold, a pound of meth is usually “stepped on,” or diluted with another agent. Diluting meth increases production: A pound of pure meth can become 4 pounds, and a $2,500 investment can become $20,000 in two days’ time wholesale. millions and millions in profits
So let’s do the math: 19 labs at 10 pounds each at $5,000 a pound equals $950,000. Assume they cook 10 pounds a month — a conservative estimate — and you have $11,400,000.00 a year. Then factor in that $5,000 a pound is the wholesale price, and that grams sell for $90 each. There are 28 grams in an ounce, and 16 ounces in a pound . . . and it’s just a guess, but it sounds like a multi-million-dollar operation and this is just Canada Town. Just how long has this been going on and who got the $$$ Millions? One thing is for sure it was not Police Chief Wayne Bird.