News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

11 GREEN BAY DRUG-RING MEMBERS ARRESTED
Local cocaine and marijuana operation dismantled

JUN 5--GREEN BAY, WI - The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with a multi-jurisdictional force comprised of local police and other federal agencies, arrested eleven defendants from the Green Bay area on drug and money laundering charges today. The defendants are alleged members of the Lorenzo Hill Drug Distribution Organization and are believed to be responsible for pouring more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and multiple kilograms of cocaine onto the streets of Green Bay communities. The group has allegedly been in operation since at least July 2000 and was supplied by a source in Chicago, Illinois.

These arrests are part of a long-term, large-scale drug investigation into Green Bay area drug sales, as well as the money laundering of the related cash proceeds. The eleven-defendant complaint charged these individuals and described them as follows:

1. Lorenzo "Soso" Hill, 35 (dob 09/17/1967) of Green Bay.
2. Larry Sternal, 30 (dob 12/28/1972) of Green Bay.
3. Bradley "Buffalo" Cornelius, 26 (dob 09/29/1976) of Green Bay.
4. Nokies "Lil' G" Truss, 28 (dob 04/12/1975) of Green Bay.
5. Sarah Ann Miller, 26 (dob 09/3/1976) of Green Bay.
6. Lee Grondin, 22 (dob 07/13/1980) of Green Bay.
7. Dale Cornelius, 43 (dob 11/03/1959) of Green Bay.
8. Jason Paul, 21 (dob 08/14/1981) of the Village of Howard.
9. Christopher Jorgenson, 21 (dob 08/11/1981) of Oneida.
10. Frederick Smith, 38 (dob 12/15/1966) of Green Bay.
11. Ronell "Pen" Hunter, 23 (dob 02/23/1980) of Green Bay.

According to the criminal complaint filed, members of the drug ring, including Hill and his cousin Larry Sternal, made frequent trips to Chicago to pick up both cocaine and marijuana. The bulk drugs were then driven back to Wisconsin and stored in specific residences and a storage facility that are commonly referred to in drug trade jargon as "stash houses." Once ready for sale, the drugs were assigned code names by Hill and his associates, such as "milk" for cocaine, and "pie" for marijuana. Code words were also used to describe the quantity of drug ordered by Wisconsin customers including the words - "brother" for an ounce, "sister" for a half ounce, and "little brother" for a quarter ounce.

Local police and their Federal counterparts used teamwork to win this battle in the 'War on Drugs.' James Bohn, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA stated, " The investigation used a variety of law enforcement tools to successfully dismantle this large scale marijuana and cocaine trafficking group. The investigation also underscores the impact that local and Federal law enforcement can achieve by combining resources and focusing its efforts. Large scale drug operations such as this do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, and therefore it is imperative for law enforcement to work together in order to positively impact the community."

"The Brown County Drug Task Force should be commended for its commitment throughout this 18 month investigation," Agent Bohn said. The Brown County Drug Task Force consists of the Green Bay Police Department, the Brown County Sheriff's Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in addition to the DEA.

All of the defendants arrested will have an initial court appearance beginning at 3:00pm today in U.S. District Court. Steven M. Biskupic, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and his representatives, Assistant United States Attorneys Erica O'Neil and William Roach, will prosecute the case.

The public is reminded that complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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