Date: October 5, 2022 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov BOSTON — A Springfield woman has been sentenced for her role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed heroin and crack cocaine across western Massachusetts and into Vermont. Nia Dinzey, a/k/a "Nia Moore-Bush," was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2022 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 86 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On July 13, 2022, Dinzey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of cocaine; five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and/or crack cocaine; two counts of money laundering conspiracy; seven counts of money laundering; one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of aiding and abetting the crime of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; and one count of aiding and abetting the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Nia Dinzey was arrested and charged in January 2018 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2018 along with other members and associates of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed heroin and crack cocaine. Dinzey pleaded guilty to all counts in July of 2022. "Trafficking drugs and firearms onto our streets fuel violence, trauma and chaos in our neighborhoods. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our Commonwealth," said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. "Ms. Dinzey and her co-conspirators jeopardized the protection, health and safety of our communities and she will now have several years to focus on improving herself and finding better alternatives to crime." Nia Dinzey and her husband, Dinelson Dinzey, obtained narcotics in the Springfield area, transported them to Vermont themselves or via couriers and distributed the drugs in the Barre area. The two then conspired to launder the drug proceeds through bank accounts allegedly held by co-defendant Daphne Moore in trust for Nia Dinzey. The DTO would make cash deposits of its Vermont drug proceeds into the accounts. To obtain the proceeds, Nia Dinzey and, allegedly, Moore would facilitate withdrawals of those funds from the accounts in Massachusetts. Additionally, Nia Dinzey, her husband and others also conspired to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and in a May 5, 2017 firearms sale. According to court documents, six firearms involved in this conspiracy were traced to individuals connected to Vermont or New Hampshire. Dinelson Dinzey previously pleaded guilty and, in October 2019, was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Moore has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial. U.S. Attorney Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the ATF's Springfield Area Firearms Enforcement Task Force with assistance of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations in Boston, ATF's Burlington Field Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Curley of Rollins' Springfield Office prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
