Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/12/1408:38 PM
Macomb Country drug kingpin bolts courthouse before guilty verdict
By Mitch Hotts, The Macomb Daily POSTED: 05/12/14, 5:41 PM EDT | 3 COMMENTS
A drug kingpin from Macomb County and two cohorts disappeared from the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit on Monday afternoon minutes before a jury returned a guilty verdict, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Carlos Ellis Powell of Washington Township, along with his brother, Eric Jerome Powell of Franklin Farms, and Earnest Lee Proge Jr. of Detroit all fled the U.S. District Courthouse on Lafayette Boulevard right before they were to return to the courtroom to hear the jury render its verdict around 12:30 p.m.
“We’ve been told Carlos Powell was last seen walking away from the courthouse,” said Gina Balaya, a public information officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The U.S. Marshals Service is leading the effort to find him and they are out on the streets right now.”
A fourth defendant in the drug ring, Kenneth Robert Daniels, 54, of Detroit, a former Michigan State Representative for Detroit’s Fifth District, appeared for the verdict and was convicted.
Carlos Powell’s defense attorney Deday LaRene declined to comment in an email.
The missing trio was part of what federal prosecutors labelled as one of the largest drug rings in the history of the metropolitan Detroit area, and laundered in excess of $21 million. They were convicted of trafficking hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana, according to U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade.
Carlos Powell, 39, who went by the street name of “50,” was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond in February 2012 and ordered to wear a tether around his ankle. He cut the tether on Monday prior to the verdict being rendered, officials said.
Eric Powell, 36, and Proge, 36, were each free on a $10,00 bond.
The Powell brothers were known for wearing fez hats in the courtroom. Court records show the men were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America and wore the hats for religious reasons.
According to court documents, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2006 launched an investigation that uncovered a massive drug operation that continued through late 2010. The ring included 10 other defendants who already have been found guilty.
They operated a drug organization that dealt multi-kilogram quantities of marijuana, heroin and cocaine into the Detroit area. They would arrange for large amounts of money derived from the sales to be transported to Phoenix, Ariz., Mexico and elsewhere to be used to purchase more controlled substances.
The group used semi-trucks and vehicles equipped with traps and hidden compartments to transport the drugs and cash.
Since 2006, law enforcers have seized more than 12 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of heroin, and 1,000 pounds of marijuana, along with jewelry appraised at over $800,000, eight pieces of property in Michigan and Georgia valued at more than $750,00, 10 vehicles including a 2004 Rolls Royce, 2006 and 2008 Bentley, a 2006 Ferrari, four Mercedes, a Ranger Rover and two boats.
When agents raided Powell’s house in Washington Township, they uncovered $3 million spread throughout the house including under a television set, in the kitchen and in drawers, authorities said.
The missing drug dealers are considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to contact the U.S. Marshals Office at 313-234-5656.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/13/1412:53 PM
Im surprised these guys weren't being held in custody during trial.
This is the guy who was linked to the mayor kwame Kilpatrick, it was alleged that he paid a bribe to Kilpatrick through this other guy to secure a $10 million loan from the pension fund. The guy who paid the bribe for him committed suicide.
heres a more detailed article about his case. this guy was swimming in money
Federal agents Wednesday arrested the alleged leader of an international drug ring based in Metro Detroit, which is accused of peddling hundreds of kilograms of heroin, cocaine and marijuana and stockpiling millions in cash.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration nabbed alleged drug kingpin Carlos Powell early Wednesday following a multi-year investigation. He was arrested at about 7:45 a.m. at his home in Eastpointe. Powell, who has homes in Detroit and Macomb County, is expected to be arraigned at 1 p.m. in federal court.
During the probe, the feds have seized more than $10 million in cash and 55 pounds of heroin. The size, scope and profits of Powell's alleged drug ring would rank him among the most prolific drug dealers in recent Detroit history.
"This surpasses everybody," said Carl Taylor, a criminologist at Michigan State University who has studied drug trafficking in Detroit. "That's very scary. That's a lot of heroin and a tremendous amount of cash, particularly at this time."
Powell, 37, allegedly headed a large-scale drug operation that has ties to Grosse Pointe, Ann Arbor, Detroit, West Bloomfield Township and Chicago, according to federal court records and interviews.
"I'm not going to have anything to say about this," LaRene said.
The case against Powell is outlined in search warrant records and a Justice Department forfeiture complaint filed in federal court.
Besides the cash and drugs, the feds have seized a fleet of expensive boats and vehicles, including two Bentleys and a Ferrari, according to court records and interviews.The 55 pounds of heroin, meanwhile, roughly equals a quarter of the heroin seized by the DEA two years ago in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.DEA and Justice Department officials declined to talk about the investigation.
"It's an ongoing criminal investigation, and we're not going to comment at all at this point," DEA spokesman Rich Isaacson said.
Federal agents have spent at least 23 months investigating Powell. The probe was revealed in a forfeiture complaint filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Beck in December 2010 that summarizes the seizures and describes an alleged drug and money-laundering operation.
Since March 2010, agents involved in the Powell investigation have executed at least 16 search and seizure warrants across Metro Detroit.
On June 23, 2010, agents seized 13 kilograms of heroin in Ann Arbor.
Five days later, they seized $260,000 in Charlotte, southwest of Lansing.
In July 2010, investigators seized $5 million and 10 kilograms of heroin in Chicago.
Michigan State Police troopers found $2.2 million in cash after stopping a Chicago-bound vehicle along Interstate 94 in Calhoun County in September 2010.
A month later investigators seized $2 million and 12 kilograms of cocaine during a traffic stop along westbound Interstate 94 in Calhoun County.
The traffic stop involved a 2010 Toyota Avalon driven by California resident Margarita Vallejo, who admitted being involved in transporting money. She told investigators she flew from California to Chicago, rented the car and drove to an Ann Arbor hotel, according to federal court records.
A man arrived at her hotel room, placed suitcases in the Toyota's trunk, and she was instructed to deliver the suitcases to Chicago. Vallejo was charged with a federal drug crime in October.
The feds also have executed raids in Grosse Pointe, West Bloomfield Township, Detroit and northern Macomb County and obtained cellphone wiretaps.
The probe has uncovered evidence of money laundering.
In December 2010, federal prosecutors asked a judge to order Powell's luxury condominium in a hip area of Atlanta forfeited to the government. The condo was purchased with proceeds from the drug ring, Beck wrote in the forfeiture complaint.
Little is known about Powell.
He doesn't have a criminal record.
He is president of an Eastpointe-based company called Grand Towers Inc., which was incorporated in May 2000, according to court records.
The company's purpose is unclear and not identified in state records.
Federal court records offer insight into the probe and chronicle Powell's lifestyle.
Powell spent more than $750,000 on big-ticket assets, according to court records. And he never needed financing or a mortgage.
He spent $107,000 on a Bentley Continental, $25,000 on a 43-foot Sea Ray boat, $22,000 for a Harley Davidson and $173,000 on a home in West Bloomfield Township, according to the feds. And thousands more on diamond jewelry.
Most of it has been seized.
The allegations and big-ticket items draw comparisons to Detroit's infamous drug dealers.
Members of the Detroit gang Young Boys Inc., the pioneering heroin ring of the late 1970s and 1980s, spent lavishly on cars and jewelry and drew attention in predominantly white, upper-class suburbs, said Taylor, the drug trafficking expert.
"The big rollers, they wanted to take on the Tony Montana image. Look at 'Scarface' and the big house and big pool," Taylor said. "They think they can do that undercover. But all you do is draw fire, and you're going to catch hell."
The largest seizures happened Nov. 17, 2010.
That's when agents raided a $458,000 house linked to Powell in the northern Macomb County community of Washington Township.
The 3,244-square-foot home north of 26 Mile was one stop in several coordinated raids executed by drug agents that day that yielded more than $8 million in cash and seven kilograms of heroin.
The feds found more than $2.9 million at two homes owned by Powell and $5 million plus another five kilograms of heroin at an alleged "stash house" used by Powell, according to court records.
The heroin seized during the Powell raids sends a clear signal, Taylor said.
"This certainly signals heroin is not making a comeback, it means heroin is back," he said.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/13/1404:49 PM
Originally Posted By: Scorsese
is it something to do with their not being any violence involved with their case. The bonds they got were probably chump change to them.
Well, sure. But that's why the prosecutors have to push for remand in these cases. I know it's tough to get judges to go along with, but at least make a show of it and ask.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/14/1404:38 AM
Broken leg, legal breaks kept fugitive Metro Detroit drug dealers from jail
Robert Snell The Detroit News
Detroit— Carlos Powell, one of the biggest drug dealers in Metro Detroit history, got bond and went on the run thanks to a bum leg.
Court records pinpoint exactly how the Macomb County man managed to avoid being jailed two years ago pending trial in a massive drug conspiracy case.
The records also reveal Powell, his brother and a friend, all of whom disappeared before their jury returned guilty verdicts Monday, have a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond.
The back-story emerged Tuesday while a team of fugitive hunters searched for the three fez-wearing drug dealers, who face up to life in prison and $10 million fines.
The U.S. Marshals Service, meanwhile, offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest of each man.
The Powell brothers said in court filings that they wear fezzes because it is considered a religious headdress. They are purported members of the Moorish Science Temple of America and, according to court filings, not subject to U.S. laws.
Temple official Kenny Martin El of Greensboro, N.C., would not say Tuesday whether the group had helped the men flee or if he knew their whereabouts.
“We don’t want to elaborate on that,” he told The News. “They are in their skin, wherever they are.”
Before Carlos Powell showed up for his arraignment in federal court on Feb. 1, 2012, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares was going to urge a judge against issuing bond.
But the leader of one of the largest heroin rings in Metro Detroit history walked into federal court in downtown Detroit on crutches and a broken leg.
“Due to defendant’s incapacitation, the government agreed to a bond for defendant as long as it included GPS location monitoring and a curfew,” prosecutors wrote in a later court filing.
So Powell turned in his passport and promised U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Randon that if he ever fled and got caught, he would pay $50,000 — less than half the value of the Bentley Continental owned by Powell, who stockpiled millions in cash at his Washington Township home.
Powell cut his ankle tether Monday and disappeared after learning his jury had reached a verdict, court officials said.
The decision to grant such a small bond to Powell — a decision former federal prosecutor Keith Corbett called a “joke” — and Powell’s disappearance Monday sparked a round of finger pointing as a team of fugitive hunters searched for Powell, his brother Eric Powell and friend Earnest Proge.
After getting bond in early 2012, Carlos Powell wasn’t done getting in trouble but still managed to stay out of a federal prison while awaiting trial.
On June 18, 2012, Powell was arrested for driving without a license and failing to report an accident in West Bloomfield.
Unlike federal court, the West Bloomfield judge ordered Powell to spend 29 days in the Oakland County Jail.
His brother Eric Powell, meanwhile, had a lengthy rap sheet that included a conviction for fleeing and eluding.
Despite the record, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mona Majzoub released Powell on $10,000 unsecured bond and placed him on home confinement.
Between 1995 and 2003, Eric Powell was on probation for various offenses, including three drug convictions, and violated probation five times, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors pointed to his rap sheet in May 2012 when his defense lawyer unsuccessfully tried to relax bond conditions.
“During the course of this investigation, significant evidence was gathered that Eric Powell is a large-scale drug trafficker with access to very large sums of money,” prosecutors wrote.
Friend Earnest Proge, meanwhile, got a $10,000 unsecured bond from Majzoub despite leading state police on a 10-mile high-speed chase during the drug investigation.
On Sept. 17, 2010, undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents spotted Eric Powell loading three suitcases into a Ford Flex at a home on Stricker Avenue in Eastpointe.
Powell drove to a warehouse and met Proge and a second man.
Proge left in the Ford Flex, heading west on Interstate 94. The DEA agents called Michigan State Police and asked a trooper to stop Proge.
“Proge fled from MSP and engaged multiple police vehicles in a high-speed chase,” Cares wrote in a court filing.
Proge eventually stopped the car and was arrested.
Agents looked inside the Ford Flex and found the suitcases. Inside, they found more than $2.25 million wrapped in heat-sealed plastic bags.
Agents examined the plastic and found a palm print. It belonged to Eric Powell.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy, who presided over the trio’s nearly two-week trial, was outraged Proge and the others were granted bond.
“I think it’s outrageous. Who gave them bond?” he asked prosecutors in court Monday. “Did you appeal that to me?”
Prosecutors shook their head no.
Before demanding prosecutors issue bench warrants for the trio’s arrest, the judge railed against the three missing drug dealers Monday after learning they had disappeared before the jury returned with a verdict.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/14/1404:57 PM
Drug link in alleged bribe of Kilpatrick's dad probed Feds explore claim that $100K from heroin dealer secured pension loan By Robert Snell The Detroit News
Detroit— Federal agents are investigating whether money for a $100,000 bribe allegedly paid to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's father came from an accused international heroin dealer, The Detroit News has learned. The alleged bribe, first reported by The News in April, was paid to Bernard Kilpatrick by Detroit businessman Abner McWhorter to obtain a $10 million loan from a Detroit pension fund, the businessman's partner said. Investigators are probing whether McWhorter borrowed the $100,000 from Macomb County resident Carlos Powell, who was indicted in January and accused of heading a large-scale drug ring, sources said. The allegation surfaced Thursday, two days after McWhorter's business partner, George Kastanes, was arrested by federal agents in Florida following a two-month manhunt and a search for $5 million in missing Detroit pension fund money. "My understanding is McWhorter borrowed money from the drug dealer to do the pay-to-play," Kastanes lawyer, Joseph Brien, told The News. He did not identify the drug dealer by name. A second source familiar with the investigation confirmed federal agents are trying to determine whether Powell bankrolled the alleged bribe. The allegation offers insight into the ongoing FBI investigation of the city's pension funds, which in February yielded an indictment of former city Treasurer Jeff Beasley. "The fact someone may be saying this and that an investigator is assigned to see whether it's true doesn't make it true," Bernard Kilpatrick lawyer John Shea said Thursday. "Bernard has always maintained that he had a legitimate business relationship with Abner." Powell's lawyer did not return phone messages seeking comment Thursday. A U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman declined comment. The alleged bribe is the latest fallout from a failed $10 million pension deal to buy foreclosed homes. The deal with McWhorter's company, Paramount Land Holdings, led to McWhorter's suicide, legal battles and a search for $5 million in missing pension fund money. Investigators have uncovered other ties between Powell and McWhorter. Before he died, McWhorter had transferred some of the foreclosed homes to Powell's company, according to federal court records. The property transfers were discovered by federal drug agents during a raid at Powell's home two years ago, according to a search warrant application reviewed by The News. It's unclear why the properties were being transferred or if the real-estate deals were related to the alleged $100,000 bribe. Kastanes, who was released from custody Thursday following a court hearing in Florida, does not know whether Powell loaned money to McWhorter. "It could certainly be why the properties were conveyed to (Powell)," Kastanes said Thursday. "Anybody can make whatever assumptions they want on the damn thing. "I don't think Abner had that kind of money." Paramount's former attorney Ben Gonek said Thursday he does not know anything about an alleged bribe. The alleged bribe was paid before January 2008. That's when the Detroit Police and Fire pension fund loaned $10 million to Paramount, which was formed in January 2008 to borrow money and buy foreclosed mortgages. The loan went into default last year and McWhorter committed suicide in August amid accusations he was involved in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded the pension fund. Before the loan was issued, McWhorter hired Bernard Kilpatrick's consulting firm, Maestro Associates, to work on the pension deal. Bernard Kilpatrick received the bribe in spring or summer 2007 to ensure the pension fund, which included members of Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, approved the deal, Kastanes said. Kastanes has said he was unaware of the bribe until after the loan went into default. Prosecutors previously have accused Bernard Kilpatrick of wrongdoing related to the city's pension funds. Bernard Kilpatrick, Kwame Kilpatrick and former city official Derrick Miller were charged in a racketeering conspiracy indictment with soliciting and pocketing more than $1.2 million in cash and property from people seeking deals with the city's pension funds. "The allegations in the indictment are just allegations and they're contested," Shea said. rsnell@detnews.com
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/20/1409:23 PM
Originally Posted By: Scorsese
the hats are because they were claiming to be members of the moorish temple and not subject to federal law during their trial.
Also the government just upped the reward to a whopping $7500 from $5000.
Thanks for update.
I think some convict in NJ used the Moor hustle to either beat a charge or reduced sentence..and now lot of people with heavy charges try to use it. The defense is along the lines of claiming status similar to that of "technically" sovereign native american groups ....and that you are not subject to the rules of the constitution or united states codes or I guess state codes.
============================================
These dudes are looking like Mr. Cunningham from Happy Days though.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 05/23/1402:03 AM
By now they've all gotten plastic surgery and new identities. Probably in Brazil recovering in a 5 star suite with a couple beautiful Brazilian babes on each side of them.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/02/1404:21 PM
Audio: Fugitive's drinking was bigger topic than flight risk at arraignment
Three who fled May 12 before guilty verdicts read still at large
Robert Snell The Detroit News
Detroit— Federal prosecutors didn’t ask a judge to jail a fez-wearing drug lord pending trial or request temporary detention.
And now, following their convictions, the kingpin and two members of his gang are on the lam.
At Carlos Powell’s arraignment in February 2012, there was a prolonged courtroom debate about whether the dangerous drug lord, one of the wealthiest and biggest drug dealers in Metro Detroit history, could drink booze while on bond. But there was little discussion about release on bond.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Randon provided The Detroit News with an unsolicited audio recording of Powell’s arraignment, after Randon was identified as having released Powell on bond.
Powell, 39, was released without having to post any cash, even though Maureen Carmany of the U.S. Pretrial Services Office expressed concern that he could be a flight risk and a danger to the community.
An audio recording of Powell’s arraignment indicates Randon gave prosecutors a chance to request pretrial detention. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares, however, passed after Carmany recommended having the drug kingpin surrender his passport, agree to a curfew and wear a global positioning system ankle tether, among other conditions.
The recording reveals a discussion about whether the Washington Township man could drink alcohol while awaiting trial.
“Judge, I don’t understand the need for the no-alcohol provision,” defense lawyer Deday LaRene said.
“He’s currently on probation for operating (a car) while intoxicated,” Carmany said.
“OK. So he shouldn’t get drunk and drive a car,” LaRene said. “But there’s nothing in the facts of this case that suggests that Mr. Powell needs to be totally abstemious.”
“Well, if he wants to stay out, he’s gotta not drink,” the judge said. “I think it’s a fair condition.”
“You can’t have a drink when you’re under indictment — what’s the point?” LaRene said.
“(He) can have a drink,” the judge said, “it just can’t be alcohol.”
Laughter filled the courtroom.
“Judge, with all due respect,” the defense lawyer said, “that is not a drink.”
The News obtained the audio file as federal agents continued to hunt for the three men Friday. The U.S. Marshals Service has offered a $7,500 reward for Carlos Powell’s capture and $5,000 each for his brother Eric Powell and friend Earnest Proge.
The men stood trial last month on charges they operated an international drug ring.
The size, scope and profits of Carlos Powell’s drug ring place him among the most prolific drug dealers in Metro Detroit history. During a years-long investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, 1,000 pounds of marijuana and more than $21 million in cash.
Following a nearly two-week trial, Carlos Powell cut his ankle tether and all three men disappeared before their jury returned guilty verdicts May 12. The men face up to life in prison and $10 million in fines.
Powell cut his tether near the courthouse in downtown Detroit and escaped in a vehicle, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Watson said Friday. He would not elaborate on the search.
Randon, who was recently named a federal bankruptcy judge, declined to comment about the arraignment or audio recording.
During the hearing, Carmany, the pretrial services official, recommended releasing Powell on bond, noting he had strong family ties to the area and owned a business.
Randon asked the prosecutor about bond.
“Is there any objection from the government to any of the other conditions that pretrial services has recommended or are you seeking detention?” Randon asked prosecutors. “What are you doing?”
“The government doesn’t have any objections to the recommendations pretrial services has made,” Cares said.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade declined comment on Friday.
Cares was going to urge Randon not to approve bond, but Powell hobbled into federal court in downtown Detroit on crutches because of a broken leg.
“Due to defendant’s incapacitation, the government agreed to a bond for defendant as long as it included GPS location monitoring and a curfew,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Given the amount of cash generated by the drug ring and nature of the charges, veteran defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Keith Corbett called Powell’s bond “a joke.”
The trial was notable for more than drugs and cash. The three men wore fezzes to court each day.
The men said they were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America. One court filing, on Moorish Science Temple of America letterhead, alleged the Powell brothers were not subject to U.S. laws and offered to pay money to settle the criminal charges. U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy, who handled the trial, dismissed the letter as frivolous.
A local Moorish Science Temple of America leader said the men were not members and wore the fezzes in a bid to sway jurors.
“They wore fezzes without comment from me,” Murphy said in court after the men fled. “I thought it was highly offensive and disrespectful.”
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/02/1410:41 PM
Originally Posted By: Scorsese
During the hearing, Carmany, the pretrial services official, recommended releasing Powell on bond, noting he had strong family ties to the area and owned a business.
Randon asked the prosecutor about bond.
“Is there any objection from the government to any of the other conditions that pretrial services has recommended or are you seeking detention?” Randon asked prosecutors. “What are you doing?”
“The government doesn’t have any objections to the recommendations pretrial services has made,” Cares said.
Govt. seized the drugs and $21 million cash.Whether these guys ever spent a day in prison was irrelevant.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/04/1402:34 PM
I don't know much about how bonds/bail work but....isn't it odd that if your facing life in prison (as that article suggests) that you would get any bond at all?
If I was facing more than 10 years I'd probably run...let alone life.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/04/1402:58 PM
Originally Posted By: mldetroit
I don't know much about how bonds/bail work but....isn't it odd that if your facing life in prison (as that article suggests) that you would get any bond at all?
If I was facing more than 10 years I'd probably run...let alone life.
it's the same way how rapist get four years in prison (maybe)
drug dealers get forty years for having four rocks
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/04/1403:10 PM
Juror's sudden absence deepens mystery of fugitive drug trio
Robert Snell The Detroit News 49 Comments
Detroit— A federal judge is investigating why a juror in a major narcotics trial went AWOL around the same time the fez-wearing drug defendants disappeared.
Juror David McIntosh of Detroit failed to attend closing arguments and deliberations in the case against Carlos Powell, one of the biggest drug dealers in Metro Detroit history, and three others.
It is unclear why the 48-year-old man failed to show up after a nearly two-week trial and whether his absence is related to the disappearance of Powell, his brother Eric Powell and friend Earnest Proge. His behavior deepens the mystery surrounding the search for the drug dealers, who are being hunted by the U.S. Marshals Service and face up to life in prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy ordered McIntosh to his courtroom June 11 to explain why he failed to show up for closing arguments and deliberations that ended in guilty verdicts against the three drug dealers and former state Rep. Kenneth Daniels. McIntosh was replaced by an alternate juror.
The judge likely is wondering if there is a connection between the missing juror and the missing drug dealers,said Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University and a former federal prosecutor.
“That’s a question on the judge’s mind,” Henning said. “This is certainly a striking coincidence.”
McIntosh was the sole black male juror in a case involving four black defendants and one of the most prolific and profitable drug rings in Metro Detroit history. Carlos Powell’s operation generated tens of millions of dollars and was responsible for importing hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana from Mexico, prosecutors said.
McIntosh sat through about two weeks of testimony before failing to show up at court for closing arguments May 8.
That’s the last day court officials saw Franklin resident Eric Powell and Proge, a Detroit resident. Both men were free on $10,000 unsecured bond.
McIntosh’s absence delayed the start of closing arguments and triggered a search by court officials.
“They tried his cellphone, his home phone number — they did everything short of sending a car out to his house,” said Proge’s lawyer Patricia Maceroni. “He was always on time and very attentive. Everyone was very surprised he did not show up.”
McIntosh could not be found and failed to show up on May 9 or May 12. That’s the day jurors reached guilty verdicts against the three drug dealers and Daniels.
When Carlos Powell, 39, of Washington Township learned there was a verdict, court officials said he cut his ankle tether and disappeared.
The Powell brothers and Proge were released on bond in 2012 despite a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond. Federal prosecutors did not ask a judge to jail Carlos Powell, the drug kingpin, or request temporary detention.
The three men wore fezzes to court each day.
The men said they were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America. One court filing, on Moorish Science Temple of America letterhead, alleged the Powell brothers were not subject to U.S. laws and offered to pay money to settle the criminal charges. The judge dismissed the letter as frivolous.
All three should be considered armed and dangerous, prosecutors said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at (313) 234-5656.
Maceroni had forgotten about McIntosh’s disappearance given the flight of her client and the Powell brothers.
“I’ve had jurors who have gotten in car accidents or violently ill or who have had family members ill and who can no longer participate,” Maceroni said.
“What was so unusual about what happened with this young man is there was just no communication.”
McIntosh’s relatives could not be reached Tuesday and nobody answered the door at his home on Detroit’s northwest side. According to a public records database and The News’ archives, he worked as a Comerica Park beer vendor as recently as 2006.
A Detroit police spokesman said there were no missing persons reports filed for McIntosh.
A spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service declined to comment on whether investigators have talked to McIntosh as part of the manhunt.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined comment.
Maceroni doubts there is any link between the juror and the missing drug dealers.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/05/1409:31 AM
Fugitive drug brothers captured
Third man remains missing weeks after guilty verdicts in drug trial
Carlos Powell (David Coates / The Detroit News)
Federal agents have captured two of the three missing fez-wearing drug dealers, including kingpin Carlos Powell, who disappeared last month ahead of guilty verdicts in their drug trial.
Some details were unavailable early Thursday but Powell and his brother, Eric Powell, were captured late Wednesday. Carlos Powell was caught in the eastern district of Missouri with a firearm and a large amount of money. Eric Powell was caught near Atlanta with a large amount of money, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Deputy Robert Watson confirmed.
The Powell family has ties to the Atlanta area.
In December 2010, federal prosecutors asked a judge to order Carlos Powell's luxury condominium in a hip area of Atlanta forfeited to the government. The condo was purchased with proceeds from the drug ring, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Beck wrote in the forfeiture complaint.
The arrests cap an intense manhunt launched after Carlos Powell, 39, of Washington Township, brother Eric Powell, 36, of Franklin and friend Earnest Proge, 38, of Detroit disappeared before jurors in their drug trial reached guilty verdicts May 12. The three men were free on bond, a decision that led to finger-pointing among federal officials who prosecuted the men in one of the biggest drug cases in metro Detroit history.
The third man, Proge, is still missing. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at (313) 234-5656.
Carlos Powell ran one of the most prolific and profitable drug rings in Metro Detroit history. His operation generated tens of millions of dollars and was responsible for importing hundreds of kilograms of heroin and cocaine, and thousands of pounds of marijuana from Mexico, prosecutors said.
During a years-long investigation headed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, agents seized 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, 1,000 pounds of marijuana and more than $21 million in cash.
Carlos Powell’s drug ring allegedly laundered profits and purchased $800,000 worth of jewelry, real estate in Michigan and Georgia and luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys, a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce and boats. Most have been seized.
When Carlos Powell learned there was a verdict May 12, court officials said he cut his ankle tether and disappeared.
U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy was outraged after learning the three men had fled before jurors returned those guilty verdicts that could lead to life in prison.
“No bond. No exceptions,” a red-faced Murphy said, pointing at a deputy U.S. marshal inside a courtroom filled with lawyers, prosecutors and federal agents. “These guys are into the wind. I think it’s outrageous.”
Before calling jurors into his courtroom, the judge stood at his bench, pointed at lawyers and demanded answers.
“Where’s Carlos Powell?” the judge asked Deday LaRene.
“I can’t answer that,” the lawyer said.
“I want the government to get three bench warrants immediately, and I want the marshals to go get these guys,” the judge said.
The government offered $7,500 for information leading to Carlos Powell’s arrest and $5,000 for information leading to arrests of Eric Powell and Earnest Proge.
The judge was frustrated the three men would stand trial for almost two weeks and then apparently flee before the verdict.
“What’s that say about these three?” Murphy said. “I’d like these three arrested today without exception. No bond. Understand?”
The Powell brothers and Proge were released on bond in 2012 despite a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond. Federal prosecutors did not ask a judge to jail Carlos Powell, the drug kingpin, or request temporary detention.
The three men wore fezzes to court each day.
The men said they were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America. One court filing, on Moorish Science Temple of America letterhead, alleged the Powell brothers were not subject to U.S. laws and offered to pay money to settle the criminal charges. The judge dismissed the letter as frivolous.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/05/1410:01 AM
thanks
in the words of ghostface
them flower heads must have been stupid/ tell me how the fuck black dudes get caught with all that loot kid/ that's jet money, underground money..submarines and rings..too bad you fucked up DUMMIES/
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 06/05/1402:51 PM
Originally Posted By: getthesenets
@ cheech,
right..good call
try this one
"locked in the slammer?/ NO...popped up in Atlanta/"
------------------ @ scorcese
Easy for me to say this sitting here...BUT...why would one of the brothers end up in a city where the feds already know that he has ties to?
dudes should gone to a native american reservation if they weren't gonna flee the country
JAY Z reservoir dogs
true I kind of think that they decided to escape last minute, thats why i think they perhaps had to go to these places to get any money they had stashed just as long as they got out detroit.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 10/14/1406:30 PM
Feds: Fez-wearing drug dealers deserve life in prison Robert Snell, The Detroit News 1:10 p.m. EDT October 14, 2014 fez-teaser.jpg (Photo: David Coates)
Detroit — Two fez-wearing drug dealers who fled ahead of guilty verdicts should be sentenced Friday to life in prison for running one of Metro Detroit's largest and most lucrative drug rings, prosecutors said.
In urging U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy to send drug kingpin Carlos Powell of Washington Township and brother Eric Powell of Franklin to life behind bars, prosecutors offered new details on how the men were captured in June following a nationwide manhunt.
The manhunt and case drew national attention because of the size and scope of the drug ring and because the brothers and fellow drug dealer Earnest Proge of Detroit wore fezzes to court every day. The men said they were members of the Moorish Science Temple of America but a temple leader said the fezzes were a failed attempt to influence jurors.
The sentencing is scheduled five months after the men enraged Murphy by fleeing just before the jury in their drug trial announced guilty verdicts.
“For years, Carlos and Eric Powell ran a multi-million dollar drug trafficking operation, importing staggering amounts of drugs — including hundreds (if not thousands) of kilograms of heroin, some of which was over 90% pure,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares wrote in a sentencing memo late Monday. “Their illegal drug business caused immeasurable blight and decay in this city and region.”
Life in prison is justified, he argued, because Carlos Powell was involved in selling more than 1.1 million kilograms of marijuana. The weed weighed as much as 1,000 automobiles, he said.
Carlos Powell should receive a 15-year sentence, defense lawyer Deday LaRene wrote.
Such a sentence and probation “would allow for the possibility that Mr. Powell could have some hope for a meaningful life after prison, and would be an appropriate exercise of the court’s sentencing discretion,” LaRene wrote.
Eric Powell, meanwhile, should go to prison for less than 30 years, his lawyer Domnick Sorise wrote Tuesday.
The government’s filing provides new details about the Powell brothers’ weeks-long escape in May.
When Carlos Powell learned there was a verdict May 12 that could lead to life in prison, court officials said he cut his ankle tether and disappeared. The ankle tether was found blocks from federal court in downtown Detroit.
Federal agents learned the same day that Eric Powell and Proge had disappeared, too.
Carlos Powell was captured in a home in St. Louis, Mo., on June 4. He had more than $750,000 in cash on him and numerous cellphones, Cares wrote.
Eric Powell was arrested by a fugitive task force at a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., the same night as his brothers. He was carrying more than $50,000 cash and a fake birth certificate, the prosecutors wrote Monday.
Proge was arrested June 18 in St. Louis. He will be sentenced Dec. 5.
The Powell brothers and Proge were able to flee because they were released on bond in 2012 despite a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond. Federal prosecutors did not ask a judge to jail Carlos Powell or request temporary detention.
During a yearlong investigation headed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, agents seized 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, 1,000 pounds of marijuana and more than $21 million in cash.
Carlos Powell's drug ring allegedly laundered profits and purchased $800,000 worth of jewelry, real estate in Michigan and Georgia and luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys, a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce and boats. Most have been seized.
A fourth man, former state Rep. Kenneth Daniels, D-Detroit, was sentenced to a year in federal prison. He supported Powell's drug ring by making multiple financial transactions to hide Powell's illegal activities from authorities, officials said.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 10/17/1408:01 PM
Fez-wearing drug dealers get life
Detroit — Two fez-wearing drug dealers involved in one of the most prolific narcotics rings in Metro Detroit history were sentenced to life in prison Friday.
Drug kingpin Carlos Powell of Washington Township and his brother, Eric Powell of Franklin, received the stiff sentences from a federal judge who became enraged in May when the men disappeared ahead of jury verdicts, triggering a nationwide manhunt.
"It's the largest case I've ever seen," U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy said. "There's little else to say without being insulting."
The sentences cap a criminal case that drew national attention due to the drug ring's size, scope and profits and because the men wore fezzes during the trial. The sentences also end an uncomfortable episode for the federal court and prosecutors, who did not seek pretrial detention for the brothers or a third drug dealer despite a history of running from police, violating probation or committing crimes while free on bond.
The brothers apologized Friday for jumping bond. Carlos Powell vowed to turn his life around if given a break.
"I want to say I did not mean any disrespect to the court," Powell, 39, said.
Instead, he got a life sentence and could be bound for the Supermax federal prison in Colorado. That's the most secure federal prison in the country and filled with convicted terrorists, including Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to blow up an airplane over Metro Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.
The sentencing hearings were tension-filled. Seven deputy U.S. Marshals and security officers flanked the men and closely watched a gallery filled with relatives, friends and agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Powell brothers were dressed in red jail uniforms — no fezzes — and shackled at the wrists and ankles.
Carlos Powell was reflective and apologetic while reading a prepared statement.
"I miss my children," the father of three said. "I will be leaving them in their time of need."
During a years-long investigation, DEA agents seized more than $21 million in cash, 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
"The amounts of drugs this man injected into this region are just staggering. It's just breathtaking," Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares said. "He knew it was illegal to inject poison into this region."
The Washington Township man's drug ring allegedly laundered profits and purchased $800,000 worth of jewelry, real estate in Michigan and Georgia and luxury vehicles, including two Bentleys, a Ferrari, a Rolls Royce, and boats. Most have been seized.
The brothers were free on bond and appeared in court every day for their trial until May 12. That's when they jumped bond and disappeared before jurors returned guilty verdicts.
When Murphy learned of their escape, the red-faced judge ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to find the men and fellow drug dealer Earnest Proge, who also jumped bond.
Carlos Powell was captured in a home in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 4. He had more than $750,000 in cash on him and numerous cellphones, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Eric Powell was arrested by a fugitive task force at a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, the same night as his brother. He was carrying more than $50,000 cash and a fake birth certificate.
2014-0430-dc-fez005T.JPG Eric Powell (Photo: Detroit News file ) Proge was arrested June 18 in St. Louis. The Detroiter will be sentenced Dec. 5.
The judge was calm and abrupt before sentencing Carlos Powell. Right away, Murphy told the man he would get a life sentence.
"The behavior was long-term, it was entrenched and it was deserving of a life sentence," the judge said.
Unlike his brother, Eric Powell, 36, said nothing.
"He would like to apologize for running away," defense lawyer Dominick Sorise said. "It was panic and fear of a life sentence."
He urged the judge to give his client a break. Eric Powell appeared to be a friendly person, the judge said. Murphy wanted to give the four-time felon a shot at redemption.
"The problem is, I have less discretion," the judge said. "The choices he's made are abominable."
So Murphy sentenced Eric Powell to life in prison. A woman rushed out of the courtroom, crying.
Eric Powell didn't react to the sentence. Instead, he shuffled out of the courtroom, flanked by federal agents.
"I love you Eric," a woman told him as he walked past the courtroom gallery.
DETROIT, MI -- Ken Daniels, 56, of Detroit, once served his community as a state representative. He's now headed to federal prison for a year after federal prosecutors say he helped a drug dealer conceal illegal proceeds.
A jury in May convicted Daniels, who was on trial with co-defendants Carlos Powell, the alleged leader of the drug ring, Eric Powell and Earnest Proge Jr., of structuring financial transactions.
"Evidence presented at trial showed that Daniels, who had served as the Vice Chairman of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee while a member of Michigan’s State Legislature, supported Powell’s large-scale drug operation by making multiple financial transactions to conceal Powell’s illegal activities from law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade's office said in a statement Thursday. "Daniels received $19,000 from Carlos Powell, broke those funds into two smaller amounts, and went to two separate banks to obtain cashier checks in an attempt to evade legal requirements to report transactions exceeding $10,000.
"Daniels returned the checks to Powell, who used the funds to purchase a Mercedes."
The Carlos Powell-led drug ring has been called one of the largest ever busted in Detroit.
When he was arrested in 2012, law enforcers seized more than $21 million in cash, 66 pounds of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
Carlos Powell, his brother Eric Powell and Earnest Proge all fled prior to their May 12 court date at which they were to be convicted.
U.S. Marshals caught the brothers weeks later, Carlos Powell near Atlanta, where officials said he had nearly $750,000 in cash and a firearm, and Eric Powell in Missouri.
Proge was nabbed in St. Louis.
According to MichiganVotes.org, Daniels, a Democrat, served as a state representative from 1999 to 2004.
In addition to positions on the Detroit Board of Education and as a Detroit Water Department commissioner, he ran a failed state senate bid in 2010.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 12/20/1601:41 PM
Detroit's Most Wanted: Dwayne Taylor is No. 1 most wanted 10:18 AM, Dec 16, 2016 11:25 PM, Dec 16, 2016
DETROIT (WXYZ) - A huge drug ring out of Detroit has been busted by the DEA.
Two men responsible are serving life behind bars while the U.S. Marshals say their coconspirator keeps the business running.
It’s a high profile drug case and the Marshals say they have exhausted all their resources, along with the DEA.
“This organization that the Powell brothers were running that Taylor’s part of,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Aaron Garcia said. “One of the biggest organizations in Michigan for years.
It’s an organization the U.S. Marshals and DEA want to finally close the book on.
“This organization was known for moving drugs from Michigan to Arizona from Mexico, this was a national organization- these guys got contacts everywhere,” Garcia said.
The U.S. Marshals captured ring leaders Eric and Carlos Powell who are now serving life for the heroin ring.
That puts Dwayne Taylor at the top of the most wanted list.
“Taylor would be in charge of moving the heroin from the semi trucks, getting them to the locations they need to go,” Garcia said.
He believes Taylor now leads the drug ring still based here in Detroit.
“This is a guy who has resources, who has drugs, who has access to weapons that are filling our community here in the City of Detroit and getting pushed on the street,” Garcia said.
Dwayne Taylor is 5’7” and 185 pounds. He uses the alias Dale Hill or Weezy.
“This guy here is in the Detroit area still,” Garcia said. “We just need that one tip, that viewer tip.”
The Marshals are offering a reward for information on Dwayne Taylor.
As always you can call them 24/7 and remain anonymous at (313) 234-5656.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 12/24/1605:21 PM
I think this guy was part of the original 2012 indictment.
Quote:
Indicted were Carlos Ellis Powell, 37, of Washington Township, Mich., Eric Jerome Powell, 34, of Franklin Farms, Mich., Ignacio Avalos, 21, of Phoenix, Kenneth Robert Daniels, 53, of Detroit, Earnest Lee Proge, Jr., 36, of Detroit, Tobias John Proge, 28, of Clinton Township, Mich., Dwayne Rnay Taylor, 35, of Detroit, Tamika Olivia Turner, 34, of Eastpointe, Mich., Juan Valle, 59, of Coldwater, Mich., Margarita Lopez DeVallejo, 39, of LaHabla, Calif., Benny Bernard Whigham, 34, of Detroit and Donald Lee Wilson, 49,of Parkland, Fla.
He must have avoided arrest and continued using the network that was left. I guess since hes the guy dealing with the trucks and distribution hes gonna know people on both sides.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 12/25/1602:13 AM
Scorsese,
You're right. I was confused...the 3rd fez wearer was caught already. El Chapo was caught so I don't laugh so hard about these guys getting caught as I did before.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 02/08/1712:39 PM
Drug ring suspect who fled during trial gets his conviction tossed Tresa Baldas , Detroit Free Press Published 7:10 p.m. ET Feb. 7, 2017 | Updated 11 hours ago 636220906852564738-Proge.jpg (Photo: U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency) He fled during trial, got caught — and then was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his alleged role in a major drug ring.
Despite all that, Earnest Proge had his conviction tossed today, convincing a federal appeals court that a judge forced him to go to trial with an attorney he didn't want and refused to give him a new lawyer — even when his own attorneys asked to withdraw from the case.
That, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded, was a violation of Proge's Sixth Amendment rights to defense counsel. In a 3-0 decision, the appeals court held that Proge's lawyers "made clear that there had been a complete breakdown in communication with Proge," and that they should have been allowed to withdraw. Proge asked for new lawyers one month before the start of trial, claiming his attorneys wanted him to take a plea deal that he opposed.
2 charged with supplying heroin that led to Warren girl's death U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy agreed to let one of Proge's lawyers withdraw from the case, but not the other, concluding the request was a delay tactic. This, Proge argued, forced him to go to trial with an attorney who had previously admitted wasn't prepared or equipped to take the case to trial.
"Proge ... insisted that he did not want attorneys who did not want to fight for him, and repeated that he wanted to hire a new lawyer to represent him at trial," the 6th Circuit wrote, concluding Murphy erred in not allowing Proge to get new lawyers. "Considering that the request for new counsel was made timely and more than a month before trial ... and that there was a complete breakdown in the attorney-client relationship, the insistence that trial go forward without allowing for substitute counsel violated Proge's Sixth Amendment Rights."
The U.S. Attorney's Office was not readily available for comment. But according to the 6th Circuit's filing, even prosecutors urged Murphy to honor Proge’s request for new attorneys.
The case involves the infamous kingpin brothers, Carlos and Eric Powell, who were sentenced to life in 2014 for running what prosecutors called one of the largest drug rings in metro Detroit history. Proge was tried alongside the Powells. All three of them went on the the lam just before their guilty verdicts were read, triggering an international manhunt that ended with all three getting caught.
According to the government, the three men helped run a major drug trafficking operation that involved massive amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana which were stuffed into hidden compartments on tractor trailers and other vehicles and shuttled across the country. And the players lived large, the government said, using drug money to buy $800,000 worth of jewelry, boats and luxury vehicles including a Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes.
A lengthy DEA investigation uncovered a massive operation that ran from 2006-10 and involved 13 members, including a former Democratic state representative from Detroit.
That ex-lawmaker, Kenneth Daniels, was sentenced to a year in prison for helping hide Carlos Powell from authorities through crafty financial transactions. Daniels, who was charged with helping buy a Mercedes Benz for Carlos Powell, was previously convicted by a jury of structuring financial transactions.
Daniels was the only defendant who showed up to hear the jury's verdict.
The Powell brothers and Proge disappeared in May 2014, minutes before the jury delivered guilty verdicts. They were all caught within a month. Carlos Powell was captured in St. Louis; Eric Powell was arrested in Atlanta. Proge was arrested in St. Louis.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the group would send large amounts of drug proceeds to Arizona, Mexico and other places, where the money was used to buy more drugs.
Since 2006, law enforcement officers from across the country seized more than 12 kilograms of cocaine, 30 kilograms of heroin and 1,000 pounds of marijuana, all of which belonged to this drug ring. Authorities also seized more than $21 million in cash; more than $800,000 worth of jewelry; eight pieces of property in Michigan and Georgia valued in excess of $750,000; and 10 vehicles, including a 2004 Rolls-Royce, 2006 and 2008 Bentleys, a 2006 Ferrari, four Mercedes, a Ranger Rover and two boats.
The federal appeals court vacated Proge's conviction and remanded his case for further proceedings to the lower court.
Proge, meanwhile, is not a free man. He remains in custody and federal prosecutors plans to retry him, according to Gina Balaya, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 02/08/1705:46 PM
Wait,WHAT????
After all that, the conviction is tossed.
His family should sell the rights to his story....because it's already more bizarre than most crime films I've seen and there should only be more twists and turns from this point.
Re: Detroit kingpin flees court before guilty verdict - 03/28/1810:48 PM
Detroit's Most Wanted captured: Dwayne Taylor arrested in Troy 7:40 PM, Mar 27, 2018
Copyright 2018 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. SHOW CAPTION DETROIT (WXYZ) - The leader of a notorious Detroit drug ring and one of our Detroit's Most Wanted is behind bars.
Dwayne Taylor was arrested Tuesday in Troy by the United States Marshall Service Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Task Force.
Taylor was pare of a huge drug ring out of Detroit that was busted by the DEA.
Two men responsible are serving life behind bars while the U.S. Marshals say their coconspirator kept the business running.
It was a high profile drug case and the Marshals told 7 Action News in December of 2016 that they had exhausted all their resources, along with the DEA.
“This organization that the Powell brothers were running that Taylor’s part of,†Deputy U.S. Marshal Aaron Garcia said. “One of the biggest organizations in Michigan for years.
It’s an organization the U.S. Marshals and DEA want to finally close the book on.
“This organization was known for moving drugs from Michigan to Arizona from Mexico, this was a national organization- these guys got contacts everywhere,†Garcia said.
The U.S. Marshals captured ring leaders Eric and Carlos Powell who are now serving life for the heroin ring.
That put Dwayne Taylor at the top of the most wanted list.
“Taylor would be in charge of moving the heroin from the semi trucks, getting them to the locations they need to go,†Garcia said.
Taylor was believed to be the leader of the drug ring still based here in Detroit.
“This is a guy who has resources, who has drugs, who has access to weapons that are filling our community here in the City of Detroit and getting pushed on the street,†Garcia said.
Dwayne Taylor is 5’7†and 185 pounds. He uses the alias Dale Hill or Weezy.
that's some crazy shit they got away 
what's with the hats though?
