California man Shaun Michael Simmons, 37, is looking at a lengthy stay behind bars after a Texas judge slammed him with a 135-month sentence for spearheading a cocaine smuggling operation through the Rio Grande Valley, a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed.
Simmons, hailing from Sacramento, was busted for running the drug trafficking ring that pushed 22 kilos of cocaine into the U.S. from Mexico; Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane decided that Simmons' past criminal behavior and his leadership in the conspiracy warranted a tough sentence, the punishment further compounded by a side order of five years supervised release, law enforcement delivered the goods on Simmons after a thorough probe showed his active role putting other members of the drug ring to work which included recruiting and giving orders across the border, according to the Justice Department.
The bust went down when Dustin Oliver, a player in Simmons' scheme, tried to play it cool but ended up in handcuffs at the Anzalduas Port of Entry in Mission, Texas, after an X-ray scan of his trailer tipped off the feds, leading to the discovery of the cocaine stash. Simmons’ recruit, Ericka Iesha Thomas, was previously sentenced along with Oliver; both got 24 months in the clink for their bit parts in the coke smuggling flop, the investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations laid bare the details of the drug trafficking ploy that tried to sneak by the long arm of the law, as reported by the Justice Department.
With the gavel down and the sentence handed, Simmons now waits in custody as the gears of the Bureau of Prisons churn to decide where he'll call home for the next decade-plus, the case, unfolded in court with evidence and testimonies laid bare, was helmed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell, closing yet another chapter of narcotics-fueled ambition cut short by justice's reach, full details of the case against Simmons and the operation that led to his downfall are documented by the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement.
