INDIANAPOLIS — The organizers of a two-year cross-country marijuana drug trafficking organization were sentenced to over 11 years imprisonment on Monday, according to United States Attorney, Josh J. Minkler.
Kelly Joe Spinks Jr. and Joseph Pickett Sr. operated a large scale drug trafficking organization from 2015 through March 2017. Investigations - dubbed as "Operation Northern Exposure" - conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Indianapolis District Office, Internal Revenue Service, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and Beech Grove Police Department resulted in the indictment of seven total defendants on violations of the Federal Controlled Substance Act, Money Laundering and other charges.
Following the two-year investigation by the officials as mentioned above, over 20 search warrants led to the discovery and seizure of over $4 million, 181 firearms, 31 vehicles, two motor homes and 16, motorcycles. Throughout two years, this organization distributed over four tons of marijuana.
According to Attorney Minkler, Spinks and Pickett and four others traveled from Indianapolis to California and obtained between 100 to 700 pounds of marijuana per trip. The trips occurred around every two to three weeks, according to investigators. The drug had been transported back to Indianapolis, stored and redistributed by Pickett, Spinks, Darrell Pickett, Sheila Stepp, and William Bellew Jr.
Spinks was sentenced to 140 months imprisonment, Pickett Sr. to 135, Pickett to 60 months, Stepp and Bellew to 20 months and Leonard Allen to ten months.
“One of this Administration’s priorities is to dismantle organized crime operations like the Pickett crew,” Minkler, United States Attorney, said. “The fruits of this complex joint investigation including the seizure of significant assets and the Court’s sentence should serve as a warning bell to all.”
