Seventh Member of Oxycodone Money Laundering Conspiracy Pleads Guilty

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tiauna Castro, 27, of Las Vegas pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to participating in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds from the illegal sale of Oxycodone in central Ohio.

Benjamin C. Glassman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy Plancon, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Kathy A. Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Christopher White, Assistant Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the plea entered into today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.

According to court documents, Castro deposited the proceeds from the illegal sale of Oxycodone to a bank account in Columbus that was held in the name of a front business. The account was actually controlled by someone Castro knew was trafficking illegally obtained pills from Las Vegas to Columbus.

Castro pleaded guilty to one count of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and agreed to forfeit $150,975.00 in currency.

Others convicted in the conspiracy include two people from Las Vegas, Danny R. Williams, 30, who was sentenced on July 28 to 90 months in prison, and Sukita M. Williams, 44, who is awaiting sentencing. Three people from Columbus have pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing, Rashod D. Todd, 29, Joquline D. Harris, 29, and Alfred David James Sr., 36. A fourth Columbus resident, Dontonyo Courtney, 22, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August to 33 months imprisonment.

Acting U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by the DEA, IRS, USPIS and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), as well as Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter, Deputy Criminal Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, who is representing the United States in this case.