INDIANAPOLIS – Carl Lee, 45, of Indianapolis, was recently sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
According to court documents, in June 2018, federal and local law enforcement were investigating the drug trafficking activities of Lee. Lee was selling large quantities of crystal methamphetamine in and around the Indianapolis area. Lee supplied roughly a pound of methamphetamine to various individuals who would then sell the drug to their customers. Between September 2016 and May 2018, Lee repeatedly utilized nominees to send the drug proceeds back to his California based source of supply. Lee was assisted in his drug trafficking activities by his brother, Lewis Thurman, who was charged separately, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his related drug trafficking activity.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Carmel Police Department investigated this case. The Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.