Date: March 12, 2025
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
DETROIT — Seven men have been charged in a forty-three-count indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, weapons charges, and money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Detroit Field Office, and Chevoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Detroit Field Office.
Tary Holcomb, Maurice Hill, James Thomas, Curtis Weathers, Jason Ford, Conrad Taylor, and Shantonio Brooks, all of Detroit, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a myriad of controlled substances, including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each of the men faces a mandatory prison sentence of at least 10 years. Holcomb and Thomas each face additional charges for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, while Holcomb also faces charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and for money laundering activities dating back to January 2023.
This case is assigned to Judge Edmunds of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“This case is an example of our zealous commitment to identify and dismantle local drug trafficking organizations that wreak havoc in our community by distributing harmful substances, illegally amassing weapons, and laundering illicit proceeds. This activity puts far too many at risk, and it will not be tolerated in our district,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.
“Federal laws that regulate the reporting of financial transactions are in place to detect and stop illegal activities, such as the drug trafficking and money laundering charges levied today,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “CI is committed to enforcing these laws and following the money, wherever it leads.”
“The indictment of seven men, accused of conspiring to distribute drugs, illegally possess firearms, and engage in money laundering, was successfully halted due to the tireless and meticulous investigative efforts by our dedicated team at the FBI Detroit Field Office, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the IRS Criminal Investigation. This operation underscores our commitment to protecting the safety of Michigan’s communities,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is unwavering in its mission to investigate and hold accountable those who threaten the well-being and security of our residents, ensuring a safer Michigan for all.”
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, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by agents from IRS-CI and FBI’s Detroit Organized Crime Squad, along with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Ramamurthy.
IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.