BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Federal and local law enforcement today arrested 14 defendants indicted in November as part of a multi-million dollar continuing criminal enterprise and conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, mainly within western Jefferson County, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town, FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., IRS-CID Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman, III, HSI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, Bessemer Police Chief Michael Roper and Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway.

 

Today's arrests brings to justice 14 people as a result of the three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into a West Jefferson County based drug-trafficking enterprise and conspiracy in a 58-count superseding indictment, which identified acts by the organization over a period of six years.  The OCDETF agencies involved in this investigation are the FBI, IRS-CID, HSI, member agencies of the FBI North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, and Bessemer Police Department.

 

The man accused as the leader of the organization, ROLANDO ANTUAIN WILLIAMSON, 34, aka “Baldhead” and “Ball Head,” was already in custody and charged with the original federal indictment for possessing with intent to distribute a large quantity of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and firearms on Aug. 22, 2019.  The North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force arrested an armed WILLIAMSON the morning of Aug. 22nd in the parking lot of the Publix grocery store located at 411 Green Springs Highway, Homewood, Alabama. WILLIAMSON was driving a 2016 Dodge Hellcat valued at $80,000 that was purchased with laundered money. At the time of arrest, WILLIAMSON possessed two loaded pistols (with additional loaded magazines) and almost $14,000 in cash. 

 

Seized on that day from WILLIAMSON and three of his stash houses, were 366 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 109 grams of suspected cocaine, 573 grams of pure methamphetamine, and 52 kilos of marijuana. Found with the drugs was over $97,000 in cash, an arsenal of firearms, and ammunition.

 

"Today, a group of federal and local law enforcement officers dismantled a drug-trafficking operation charged with peddling the poison of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana onto the streets of our city,” Town said. “Much of the heroin was laced with the deadly drug fentanyl.  This indictment represents years of dedicated work by the FBI, IRS-CID, HSI, Bessemer Police Department, the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, and prosecutors in my office.

 

"As a direct result of this enforcement action, the supply network for heroin/fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana in Bessemer and other areas of Jefferson County has been severely disrupted," Sharp said. "I applaud the hard work and teamwork exhibited by my agents, along with our partners of OCDETF- IRS-CI, HSI, Bessemer Police Department, and the member agencies of the North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, who once again demonstrated the importance of combining the strengths, resources and expertise of federal and local agencies to fight these drug-trafficking networks.”

 

“HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to remove criminals and dangerous drugs from our communities,” said Robert Hammer, acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta. “These people will be held accountable for threating public safety with their poison.”

 

WILLIAMSON is charged with the “Kingpin Statute,” a count of continuing criminal enterprise, a serious charge reserved for principal orchestrators who obtain substantial income or resources from drug trafficking enterprises involving several persons and substantial amounts of drugs.  If convicted, WILLIAMSON will spend the rest of his life in prison.

 

According to the indictment, 18 people are charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin/fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana between March 2013 and August 2019.  In addition to Williamson, those defendants are LEANTHONY MARTEZ GILLINS, 32, also known as “Fat Man,” SIRTERRIOUS ARZAVIA LEE, 32, also known as “Sir,” ERRICK DIONN DANIEL, 34, also known as “E,” ANTONIUS TREKELLE HAYES, 30, ADRIEN HIRAM TAYLOR, 31, also known as “Slim,” KLONDE DELVIUM HATTER, 24, KENNETH RENELL JOHNSON, JR., 33, ISHMYWEL CALID GREGORY, 35, also known as “C,” ISAAC RASHAD ROBINSON, 30, also known as “Ike, CHRISTOPHER ALLEN COOK, 31, KYLER DESHARD HATTER, 23, JANAYA LENISE BIBB, 34, DARIUS LAMAR JOHNSON, 36, also known as “Murc,” TEVION RASHAD POOLE, 27, HENDARIUS LAMAR ARCHIE, 33, also known as “Hen,” and YOLANDA MILTON, 48. 

 

The indictment separates defendants by the amount and type of drug attributable to them through their actions in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

 

WILLIAMSON, GILLINS, D.L. JOHNSON, DANIEL, LEE, ARCHIE HAYES, TAYLOR, and THOMAS, 1,000 grams or more of heroin, 10 years to life;

 

WILLIAMSON, GILLINS, D.L. JOHNSON, DANIEL, LEE, ARCHIE, HAYES, and GREGORY, 5 kilos or more of cocaine, 10 years to life;

 

WILLIAMSON, GREGORY, ROBINSON, Klonde HATTER, Kyler HATTER, BIBB, TAYLOR, and K.R. JOHNSON, Jr. fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, 10 years to life;

 

POOLE, BIBB, K.R. JOHNSON, Jr., and Kyler HATTER, 100 grams or more of heroin; 5 years to 40 years;

 

WILLIAMSON, GILLINS, POOLE, DANIEL, LEE, ARCHIE, THOMAS ROBINSON, and COOK, 100 kilos or more of marijuana; 5 years to 40 years.

 

The superseding indictment charges the additional crimes with accompanying imprisonment ranges: 

 

WILLIAMSON is charged with carrying, using and possessing firearms during and furthering his drug trafficking crimes; imprisonment for not less than 5 years nor more than life.

 

GILLINS, LEE, and DANIEL are charged with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana; imprisonment for not more than 20 years. 

 

HAYES is charged with distributing heroin; imprisonment for not more than 20 years.

 

TAYLOR and Klonde HATTER are charged with distributing methamphetamine; imprisonment 10 years to life.

 

GREGORY is charged with distributing cocaine; imprisonment for not more than 20 years.

 

ROBINSON is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; imprisonment for 10 years to life.  

 

COOK is charged with distributing marijuana and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking; imprisonment for 5 years to life.

 

The indictment includes forty counts of telephone communications among most of the defendants facilitating the drug trafficking enterprise.

 

The indictment charges WILLIAMSON and YOLANDA MILTON with money laundering.

 

The indictment seeks forfeiture of $10,000,000 in profits, all vehicles with equitable value, almost $20,000 in jewelry, all firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the drug trafficking enterprise.

 

The minimum prison penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is five years in prison, which must be served after completion of any other sentenced related to the crime.  The maximum penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.   

 

Each count of using a telephone in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

 

            The FBI, the IRS-CID, HSI, FBI’s North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, and the Bessemer Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Gregory R. Dimler are prosecuting.

 

            An indictment contains only charges.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.