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Press Release
Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska-U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that the lead defendant of a drug conspiracy involving nine individuals pled guilty in federal court today. Six of the eight other co-conspirators have previously pled guilty to federal drug charges or been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.
Steven N. Taylor, a/k/a "Louis V," a/k/a "Nicky," 43, of Seattle, Washington, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to Counts 1 and 2 of an Indictment charging a drug and money laundering conspiracy. Taylor admitted that he imported between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine to Alaska between 2009 and 2014. In a plea agreement filed with the court, Taylor admitted that he would send parcels of cocaine to Alaska from Washington. In addition, he agreed that he would use bank accounts in other names to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking. Taylor also agreed to plead guilty to a separate but related drug conspiracy indictment currently pending in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline scheduled Taylor’s sentencing for April 27, 2015. Taylor has been in federal custody since his arrest in Seattle, Washington, in August 2012.
According to the court documents, Taylor, a Washington State resident, was a long-time supplier of cocaine to Alaska. He was previously convicted by the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington for Drug Conspiracy in November 1997.
Taylor was indicted along with eight other members of the conspiracy who were located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Seattle, Washington, and Florida. James Brown, Sr., a/k/a "Unc," of Seattle, was sentenced to 56 months imprisonment on August 11, 2014; Leonard Charles, of Seattle, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment on April 14, 2014; Gabrielle Haynes, of Fairbanks, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on April 11, 2014; and Joseph Irving, of Seattle, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment on April 2, 2014.
Shawn Cloyd, a/k/a "CC," a/k/a, "Rider," and Timothy Northcutt, a/k/a "OG," a/k/a, "Butch," both from Anchorage, have plead guilty to Drug Conspiracy and currently await sentencing. Joshua Haynes, a/k/a "Lil J," of Fairbanks and Florida, is scheduled to plead guilty to Drug Conspiracy on February 4, 2015.
Etienne Devoe, a/k/a "Tien," a/k/a "Tin," of Fairbanks, is scheduled to go to trial in Anchorage on March 23, 2015.
Taylor faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the drug conspiracy.
Ms. Loeffler commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Anchorage Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mr. Taylor.