Six Defendants Indicted for Methamphetamine Conspiracy Charges

Knoxville, Tenn. – On September 4, 2019 a federal grand jury in Knoxville also returned a single count indictment against the following individuals alleging a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine:

            Alim Turner, 21, of Knoxville, Tennessee

            Ushery Michael Stewart, 20, of Knoxville, Tennessee

            Ronald J Turner, 23, of Knoxville, Tennessee

            Kadaris Traysean Gilmore, 21, of Knoxville, Tennessee

            Christopher Andrew Hounschell, 31, of Knoxville, Tennessee

            Michael Scott Stewart, 40, of Knoxville, Tennessee

The trial is set for November 12, 2019, in front of United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan.  If convicted of the methamphetamine distribution conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a minimum mandatory term of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, a fine of up to $10,000,000, criminal forfeiture, and a $100 special assessment.

FBI Agents and Knoxville Police Officers are looking for Alim Turner. Turner goes by the street name “Baby Popoff.”  Turner stands 5’ 9” and weighs 170 pounds. He is known to carry firearms. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office at (865) 544-0751 or the Knoxville Police Department at (865) 215-7212.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until his or her guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.                                                                

This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Forces.  These task forces are comprised of police officers from the Knoxville and Kingston Police Departments, Sheriff’s Deputies from the Knox, Blount, Sevier, Roane and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Offices and prosecutors from the District Attorney General’s Offices and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.  These task forces are resource multipliers for crime-fighting efforts in East Tennessee, leveraging law enforcement resources to fight the most violent criminals in the area.  Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Quencer will represent the United States.

The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.