federal grand jury hands down indictment against alleged oxycodone ring operating in fairbanks
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that seven people were indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage, for one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and on one count of money laundering.
On September 20, 2011, Wilbert Barber, 31, Dante Whitley, 23, Alex Kurth, 24, Justin Shepard, 23, Shane Tufford, 26, Lennon Duncan, 27 and Kelly Kilker, 26 were indicted for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, as part of “Operation Jack and the Beanstalk.” Barber, Whitley, Shepard, and Kilker were also indicted for one count of money laundering.
The indictment alleges that oxycodone was imported, sold and distributed in Fairbanks from September 2008 to September 2010, and that the money proceeds from the sales was laundered from September 2008 to about July 2010.
Since May of this year, the following arrests have been made: Alex Kurth, Justin Shepard and Lennon Duncan in Fairbanks; Kelly Kilker in Fairfield, CA; Wilbert Barber in Sacramento, CA and Shane Tufford in Hudson, CO. All six defendants remain in custody. Dante Whitley remains at large.
Trial is currently scheduled for October 17, 2011, in Fairbanks. On September 2, 2011, Shane Tufford pled guilty in Fairbanks to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, as alleged in a prior indictment.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Alaska State Troopers.
