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Press Release
Participated in the Shipment of Almost 10,000 Kilograms of Marijuana
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III sentenced Thurston Lindsey, whose true name is Daniel Mitchell Williams, Jr., age 43, of Phoenix, Arizona, today to 10 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Colonel Michael Kundrat, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.
According to Lindsey’s plea agreement, in December of 2011, Lindsey agreed to work with several co-conspirators, including Jerome Adolfo Castle, in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. Lindsey relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where from early 2012 until the time of his arrest on April 22, 2013, he worked directly with two of his co-conspirators, who provided Lindsey with housing and paid him for his services. Lindsey assisted in the packaging and shipment of large quantities of marijuana and cocaine to Baltimore and other cities on the east coast. Lindsey’s duties also included inspecting the quality of shipments of the drugs acquired by his co-conspirators, weighing the drugs (primarily the marijuana), and once the drugs were packaged for shipment, delivering the drugs to the shipping agent, who was responsible for shipping the marijuana and cocaine to locations in Baltimore and elsewhere. Jerome Castle was in charge of the distribution of the drugs once they arrived in Baltimore. Lindsey admits that he participated in the shipment of close to 10,000 kilograms of marijuana and also admits that cocaine was also shipped to Maryland during this period of time.
Jerome Adolfo Castle, age 35, a Jamaican national residing in Pikesville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on November 19, 2013, to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and conspiracy to launder money. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Castle’s residence and recovered almost $58,000 in cash; jewelry appraised at over $411,000; a money counter; a scale used to measure quantities of drugs; over 200 grams of marijuana; and seven handguns. In addition, Castle admitted that between 2010 and April 2013, he deposited approximately $300,000 in cash to bank accounts under the name of Dontwon Burris. These deposits were made with proceeds from the sale of cocaine and marijuana, and are, therefore, criminally derived property.
As part of his plea agreement, Castle will be required to forfeit the cash, jewelry and firearms seized from his home during the search, as well as all interest he maintained in seven properties located in Baltimore; six vehicles, including three Ford F-150’s and a Jaguar XF Premium; two laptop computers and an Apple I-Pad; and 98 pairs of assorted men’s shoes.
Castle and the government have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement Castle will be sentenced to 14 years in prison. Castle has agreed that he will consent to removal from the United States upon completion of his sentence. Judge Russell has scheduled sentencing for February 28, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DEA, Baltimore County Police Department and Maryland Transportation Authority Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Warwick and Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.