Georgia Man Charged with Trafficking Marijuana

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging SHAMAR MADDEN, also known as “Sheist,” 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.

The indictment was returned under seal on July 6 and MADDEN was arrested yesterday in Atlanta. He appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in Atlanta and is detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for tomorrow.

The indictment alleges that between August 2016 and February 2017, MADDEN, Malek Long and others conspired to distribute marijuana.

If convicted of the offense, MADDEN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

On May 12, 2017, Long, of New Haven, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to the same charge. In pleading guilty, Long admitted that he and others had used the U.S. Mail to ship substantial quantities of marijuana from California to New Haven, and then distributed the marijuana throughout the area. As part of the investigation, on February 22, 2017, law enforcement searched two storage lockers that Long maintained at a self-storage facility in West Haven and seized approximately $404,000 in cash.

Long awaits sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, New Haven Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney H. Gordon Hall.