A 35-year-old man from Muskegon has received a 32-year federal prison sentence for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. Srecko Darnell Walker, previously convicted on six other drug-related charges, was found guilty by a federal jury last November. His convictions included conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Chief United States District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou addressed Walker during sentencing, stating, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, "You’ve spent most of your life lying. You’ve spent most of your life committing crimes . . . You have earned the sentence that you’re going to get." The court imposed concurrent terms of 30 years for the three crimes and added a consecutive two-year term for violating supervised release from a prior federal cocaine trafficking conviction.
Collaboration between Walker and a local mail carrier, Steven Rasic, facilitated the import of kilogram quantities of cocaine into West Michigan between 2021 and 2022 from a Texas-based supplier, Hugo Benavides. Rasic, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service, used vacant addresses on his route to receive the shipments. Both Rasic and Benavides have pleaded guilty and received their sentences separately.
During Walker’s trial, evidence showed that law enforcement seized five kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution in the region. A failed attempt was made by Rasic to retrieve a package containing two kilograms of cocaine, claiming to represent the U.S. Postal Service when, in truth, he was acting on behalf of Walker. Text messages on Rasic's phone confirmed this deceit. According to the federal attorney’s office, in October 2022, cocaine distribution by Walker was directly observed by investigators, who also found additional cocaine and paraphernalia in his residence.
The successful prosecution of Walker highlights the collaborative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Michigan State Police West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET).
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