LEADER OF MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICKING RING SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS

Kent Allen Jones, 54, of Vancouver, Washington, will serve 144 months in federal prison for his management role in a nation-wide drug distribution network , the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced. Jones was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill, who also ordered Jones to serve ten years of supervised release after Jones completes his prison term. In addition to a fine of $10,000, Jones also forfeited the proceeds of his illegal activities, including real property, bank accounts and business interests, vehicles, boats, and other assets including a forfeiture money judgement for $5,000,000 in U.S. currency.

The Jones organization, which had been identified as a Regional Priority Target by the Federal Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), operated throughout the United States, importing drugs from Mexico and Southern California. The drugs were typically transported to the Portland, Oregon area before being shipped to Idaho, Washington, and other places in the mid-west and east coast, including the states of Colorado, Ohio, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, and New York. In addition to the importation and transportation of marijuana, the group was heavily involved in growing large quantities of marijuana in Oregon in the 1990s, both indoors and on public lands.

The organization is alleged to have reaped more than $20 million in drug proceeds over a 30 year period. The original indictment, handed down by a grand jury in Boise, Idaho, in June of 2006, sought forfeiture of more than $24 million in proceeds from drug trafficking, including $20 million in cash, a variety of business interests, airplanes, boats, vehicles, and real property in Priest River, Idaho; Portland, Eugene, Roseburg, Lake Osewgo, Bend, Hillsboro and Lakeside, Oregon; Vancouver, Washington; Los Angeles, Adelaide, Newbury Park, Lancaster, Canoga Park, as well as Mendocino County, California; Evergreen and Pine, Colorado; and Kihei and Kahuka, Hawaii.

According to the indictment, the organization had its origins in a group of high school friends from Days Creek, Oregon, with other friends and family members added over the years. The group’s early activities centered around growing and selling marijuana, but they later expanded to include smuggling large quantities of drugs from Mexico and Southern California.

The OCDETF investigation was handled by the District of Idaho because it stemmed from the case of a major drug trafficker, Leland Lang of Stites, Idaho, who was successfully prosecuted in Idaho in 2002. According to the indictment, the Jones organization supplied Lang with large quantities of drugs which were distributed in Idaho and various mid-west and eastern states. Over one million dollars in currency was seized from Lang’s mountaintop residence in Stites in 2002. Lang is currently serving a 9.5 year sentence in federal prison.

In addition to various drug distribution and money laundering charges against more than a dozen persons residing in Idaho and Oregon, defendants from California, Washington, Colorado, and Kentucky were also charged, including Lawrence Weitzman, a practicing attorney in Placerville, California.

In addition to Lang, three other Idaho residents, all from the same family, have pled guilty for their role in laundering money for the Jones organization. Jerod Keyser, is a mortgage broker from the Priest River, Idaho area. He was recently sentenced to a term of 16 months in prison for his money laundering role. His parents, Phil and Texanna Keyser, have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing which is set for June 19.

“This was a classic case of ‘follow the money,’ said U.S. Attorney Tom Moss. “Lee Lang was a major distributor, and he was getting his drugs from somewhere. We wanted to find out where, and now – thanks to the hard work and dedication of more than a dozen law enforcement agencies – I believe we have.”

"This is a great example of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies working together to combat the war on drugs" said Christopher M. Sigerson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation for the State of Idaho. "IRS CI Special Agents are uniquely qualified to assist other agencies with narcotics cases by following the money of the organization."

"Our agency has been involved in this lengthy investigation since its inception in 1995 and are very pleased to see justice done", said Kevin Johnson, Lieutenant Colonel with the Idaho State Police. "We were fortunate to have worked with such a dedicated group of professionals from many different agencies and Assistant United States Attorneys Monte Stiles and Tony Hall, tenacious advocates of justice, who were crucial to the successful outcome of the case".

“This milestone represents the end of a highly organized, highly disciplined criminal enterprise of amazing scope and complexity,” said Major Chris Brown, currently a Bureau Chief with the Oregon State Police. “It is a tribute to everyone and every agency that invested time and resources to the investigation. It is a flagship example of the results you get when law enforcement, at every level of government, share information and cooperate toward a common outcome.” Prior to his appointment to the Oregon State Police, Brown was the Douglas County, Oregon Sheriff and Roseburg, Oregon Chief of Police where many of the defendants in this investigation were originally from.

Agencies involved in the investigation and arrests include the IRS, the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Douglas County Interagency Narcotics Team, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, Westside Interagency Narcotics Team, the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Pacific Northwest Fugitive Task Force and Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team. The OCDETF program is a federal multiagency, multi-jurisdictional task force which supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

The following persons have pled guilty for their role in the Jones trafficking organization and, as noted, have either been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing:

     Kent Jones, 54, Vancouver, Washington - sentenced May 14, 2009 to 144 months, 10 years supervised release, $10,000 fine.
     Mark M. Alders, 56, Lakeside, Oregon - sentenced April 2008 to 78 months, followed by 3 years supervised release, $2,000 fine.
     Harold Carl Ballenger, 57, Bend, Oregon - sentenced December 2008 to 60 months, followed by 5 years supervised release, $1,800 fine.
     Gerald Francis McDonald, 58, Costa Mesa, California - sentenced July 2008 to 42 months, followed by 6 years supervised release, $1,500 fine.
     Jerod Lee Keyser, 34, Priest River, Oregon - sentenced March 2, 2009 to 18 months, followed by 5 years supervised release. Forfeiture of $225,000.
     Robert David Long, 55, Eugene, Oregon - sentenced November 2008 to 42 months, followed by 4 years supervised release, $2,500 fine.
     Damon John Marsh, 39, Portland, Oregon - sentenced April 2008 to 28 months, followed by 4 years supervised release, $1,500 fine.
     Mark William Pursley, 34, Vancouver, Washington - sentenced April 2008 to 27 months, followed by 5 years supervised release, $5,000 fine.
     Dale Eugene Barker, 56, Evergreen, Colorado - sentenced November 2008 to 24 months, followed by 3 years supervised release, $5,000 fine

Gregory Frank Sperow, 58, Los Angeles, California - sentencing May 20
Mark Daniel Kitzman, 52, Lake Oswego, Oregon - sentencing May 21
John Phillip Keyser, 67, Priest Lake, Idaho - sentencing June 19
Texanna M. Keyser, 67, Priest Lake, Idaho - sentencing June 19
Lawrence Edward Weitzman, 65, Placerville, California - sentencing August 19
Dennis Bruce Hammons, 59, Medford, Oregon - sentencing to be re-set.

Through the cooperation of local and federal authorities in other states, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon, the Douglas County Oregon Prosecutor’s Office, and the Oregon Department of Justice, the following additional defendants, who were linked to the Jones organization, have also been successfully prosecuted as a result of this investigation:

Alan Russell Williamson, 72, of Beaverton, Oregon.
Nicholas Ray Albano, 32, of Portland, Oregon
Tami Ballenger, 49, of Bend, Oregon
Leland Lang, 61, of Stites, Idaho
James Dale Rose, 55, of Winchester, Kentucky
Hubert Ivy, Jr., 55, of Winchester, Kentucky
Raymond L. Haddon, 62, of Clarkston, Washington
Forest McDonald, 36, of Medford, Oregon

Two other defendants associated with Jones passed away before trial and/or sentencing.

Additional arrests and pleas are expected as a result of the ongoing investigation.