Published Friday, Nov. 5, 2010 | 1:33 p.m.

Updated 1 hour, 19 minutes ago

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/05/feds-27-charged-alleged-oxycodone-money-laundering/

Federal prosecutors today unsealed charges against 27 people for their alleged involvement in an operation in Nevada and Alaska involving the distribution of more than 6,000 tablets of oxycodone and the laundering of more than $1.2 million, Nevada's U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden announced.

Eight were arrested in Las Vegas on Oct. 28 and 19 others were arrested in Alaska and Las Vegas on Wednesday and Thursday. Twenty-five of the defendants are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and 14 are charged with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone from July 2009 through last month. The defendants are charged in two separate criminal complaints filed in Nevada. The criminal complaints were unsealed today by a federal magistrate judge in Las Vegas.

The complaints allege that a Las Vegas-based drug trafficking organization led by Nicholas Ghafouria, 26, of Las Vegas is responsible for acquiring thousands of tablets of oxycodone in Las Vegas, distributing the drug in various cities in Alaska, and laundering the profits through Las Vegas bank accounts.

The complaints state that beginning in June 2009, Ghafouria and another Las Vegas resident, Ki Yong Parker, used prescriptions in their names to acquire roughly 6,200 tablets of oxycodone, which were distributed in Alaska. Ghafouria also allegedly obtained oxycodone through Las Vegas resident Demetha Jackson. The complaints allege that the other defendants worked for Ghafouria as money launderers and/or drug traffickers in Las Vegas and Soldotna, Kenai, Wasilla, Anchor Point, and Anchorage, Alaska.

The Alaska defendants allegedly sold the oxycodone pills in Alaska, and deposited the drug proceeds in bank accounts in the names of Ghafouria and several co-conspirators. The drug proceeds were then withdrawn by co-conspirators in Las Vegas. The complaint alleges that from July 24, 2009, through last Oct. 2, more than $1.2 million in cash from the distribution of oxycodone was deposited into nine Las Vegas-based bank accounts controlled by Ghafouria and his co-conspirators.

It is alleged that Ghafouria tried to legitimize the money earned from the drug distribution business by operating a custom motorcycle and paint shop named Alley Rat Custom Cycles at 3965 E. Patrick Lane in Las Vegas. The complaint states that oxycodone pills were delivered to Ghafouria at Alley Rat, and that Ghafouria used others to transport the pills from the business to Alaska via commercial airlines.

According to the complaint, authorities stated that defendants sold 30-milligram oxycodone tablets that normally cost $2 each at a pharmacy for $30 to $50 each, and also sold 80-milligram tablets for $70 to $140 each, far above the normal $20 price.

Officials calculated that Ghafouria made $384,150 through the illegal sale of 4,425 80-milligram tablets and 1,860 30-milligram tablets. At about the same time as the sales, roughly $1.2 million was deposited into bank accounts associated with him. This gave authorities probable cause to believe that Ghafouria "had additional sources of oxycodone" beyond the tablets that were alleged to have been sold.

In addition to Ghafouria, the Las Vegas defendants include Scott Thompson, 47, Kimberly Crawford, 50, Ki Yong Parker, 55, Demetha Brown Jackson, 44, Jacob McLaughlin, 21, Taylor Hill, 25, and Andrey Ariza, 25.

Defendant Ghafouria is detained pending trial. All other Las Vegas defendants were released on bond. Preliminary hearing dates for all of them are set for Nov. 15.

If convicted, the defendants each face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the drug trafficking charge, and up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on the money laundering charge.

Among the agencies involved in the investigation are IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Department of Homeland Security, and Metro Police.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Walsh and Kishan Nair.