anchorage drug dealer indicted by federal grand jury
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that on August 24, 2010, Connie Khamlue, 26, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Deborah Smith on charges of distribution of heroin and crack cocaine, contained in a three-count indictment.
According to the indictment, Khamlue sold heroin on three separate occasions during the fall of 2009. Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin E. White, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Judge Smith ordered that Khamlue be detained in federal custody pending trial. The Court set a trial date of November 1, 2010.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of Anchorage police officers and FBI agents, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. Ms. White is a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who is funded by the Municipality of Anchorage for the purpose of prosecuting gang-related and violent crime cases.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
