WICHITA, KAN. – A Tennessee man has been indicted on charges of trying to smuggle more than 200 pounds of marijuana through Kansas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Robert H. Levin, 55, Sneedville, Tenn., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of LSD. Levin initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed Dec. 19 in U.S. District Court in Wichita. The complaint alleged that on Dec. 11 Levin was driving eastbound on I-70 in Wabaunsee County when he was pulled over by the Kansas Highway Patrol. In the bed of a Ford F-250 pickup Levin was driving investigators found 12 duffel bags containing 203.5 pounds of marijuana and $47,824 in cash.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Hendershot is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

A grand jury meeting in Wichita, Kan., also returned the following indictments:

Manuel Gonzalez, 40, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawful possession of 204 gift cards from Home Depot. The crime is alleged to have occurred Dec. 27 in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Jorge V. Castaneda, 36, Las Cruces, N.M., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of traveling in interstate commerce in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million on the possession charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the interstate commerce charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Luis Angel Quintero, 32, Denver, Colo., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 20, 2011, in Ellis County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and not more than life and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Heraclio Silva-Escalante, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Jan. 4, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Watson is prosecuting.

Eloy Nunez-Aragon, 46, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Jan. 3, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Watson is prosecuting.

Juan Martinez-Jarimillo, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Jan. 6, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Watson is prosecuting

Jason Jones, 29, Wichita, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 7, 2011, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s office is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

 

 

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