Date: Dec. 10, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Greensboro, NC — A federal indictment charging 38 defendants with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride was unsealed today, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. The indictment charges the following individuals with narcotics distribution conspiracy: Nicholas Tyler Curry of Mount Gilead, NC, also known as “Hundough” and “Hondo”; Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto of Naco, Mexico, also known as “Manny,” “Jose Manuel Lopez-Castro,” “Jesus Lopez Castro,” “Pedro Beltran Zazueta,” “Pedro Zazueta Beltran,” “Emmanuel Gomez,” “Emanuel Leon,” “Emanuel Leon-Soto,” “Manuel Leon Soto,” “Jose Manuel Lopez Castro,” and “Emanuel Pena Gomez”; Jimmy Mendoza Arenas of Phoenix, AZ, also known as “Gordo,” “Jay Jay,” and “JJ”; Crandall Ortais Ingram of High Point, NC, also known as “Turk”; Kelly Emanuel Harrington, Jr. of Candor, NC; Erick Lemar Pollard of Candor, NC, also known as “Black” and “E”; Jerry Mcclure, Jr. of Winston-Salem, NC; Anthony Okurtis Rashad Lloyd of High Point, NC, also known as “Ant”; Christopher Trelonnie Everette of Candor, NC, also known as “Bank Rich” and “Bank”; Damon Lee Ingram of Candor, NC, also known as “Danky”; Trent Dashun Starnes of Mount Gilead, NC, also known as “Trinidad”; Carmen Valenzuela of Glendale, AZ; Ivangianni Valenzuela Gonzalez of Glendale, AZ; Ray Cozart, Jr. of Jackson Springs, NC, also known as “The Mayor,” “Bigrayful DaMayor,” “Big Rayful,” and “Rayful”; Sammy Soqui of Tucson, AZ; Bernard Esquire Cain of Winston-Salem, NC; Abel Gebrehiwet Zeratsion of Winston-Salem, NC; Nikonda Taye Ingram of High Point, NC, also known as “Slatt” and “Big Boy”; Charles Eugene Robbins of Phoenix, AZ; Adan Villareal-Grajeda of Phoenix, AZ; Jorge Antonio Lopez-Valdez of Glendale, AZ; Lewis Rondez Pratt of Candor, NC; Adrian Devon Hill of Lenoir, NC; Precious Sequila Herron of Tucson, AZ; Shaina Aleah Hunt of Fairmont, NC; Scottie Perett Stanback of Jackson Springs, NC; Ahmad Rashaun Saunders of Winston-Salem, NC, also known as “Heart”; Corneillous Deonte Staley of Ellerbe, NC, also known as “Sosa”; Saniyah Jenay Mccorkle of Cherryville, NC; Amya Kyonna Gordon of Mount Gilead, NC; Katey Ann Lamonds of Mount Gilead, NC; German Lopez-Gomez of Phoenix, AZ; Xavier Fabrice Ellis of Jackson Springs, NC, also known as “Zay”; Camarius Kison Phillips of Candor, NC, also known as “CBo”; Cody Anthony Curry of Tucson, AZ, also known as “Boss Curry,” “El Jefe,” and “Boss Man”; Terell Myhiem Baldwin of Troy, NC, also known as “Backstreet”; Michael William Curtis of Archdale, NC; and Justin Rand Allen of Candor, NC. The indictment also charges 10 of the defendants named above with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking scheme. Those charged with money laundering conspiracy include Nicholas Tyler Curry, Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto, Jimmy Mendoza Arenas, Crandall Ortais Ingram, Anthony Okurtis Rashad Lloyd, Trent Dashun Starnes, Carmen Valenzuela, Precious Sequila Herron, Shaina Aleah Hunt, and Cody Anthony Curry. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison for narcotics conspiracy, and up to 20 years for money laundering conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As of today, 37 of the 38 defendants are in custody. Of 26 defendants arrested today, 18 will have initial court appearances today or tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joi E. Peake of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). Eight defendants were arrested outside the MDNC and will have initial appearances in the districts of arrest. Eleven other defendants—Nicholas Tyler Curry, Jimmy Mendoza Arenas, Crandall Ortais Ingram, Jerry Mcclure, Jr., Bernard Esquire Cain, Abel Gebrehiwet Zeratsion, Adan Villareal-Grajeda, Lewis Rondez Pratt, Ahmad Rashaun Saunders, German Lopez-Gomez, and Camarius Kison Phillips—are currently in federal or state custody on related charges and will be arraigned on these charges at a later date. One defendant remains at large. 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. Investigating agencies include the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Candor Police Department, and Mesa (Arizona) Police Department. 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 more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.
