Conyers Man Gets More than 21 years for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
January 20, 2009
Atlanta, GA - TROY ALEXIS, 38, of Conyers, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard W. Story to serve more than 21 years in prison on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. At the time of his arrest, ALEXIS owned and operated “Alexis Motors Sales and Leasing” located in Tucker, Georgia.
United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “This defendant used his car dealership as a front to distribute cocaine and launder the money generated by his illicit drug dealing.
The sentence in this case shows that those who distribute drugs in our community will face lengthy prison sentences, and will lose businesses they use to aid in their criminal activities.”
ALEXIS was sentenced to 21 years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. ALEXIS pleaded guilty to the charges on May 27, 2007.
According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: ALEXIS was released from federal prison in 2003 after serving a four-year sentence for drug trafficking. Shortly after release, he established and operated Alexis Motors Sales and Leasing in Tucker.
In order to support the business, however, he soon began distributing cocaine from the dealership and, over the course of several years, used it as a means to launder the cash derived from his drug dealing. After a year-long investigation, the DEA arrested ALEXIS and others associated with the dealership on November 9, 2006, seizing all of the vehicles owned by the dealership and its records.
An analysis of the dealership records showed that, between 2004 and 2006, ALEXIS funneled huge amounts of drug money through the business. The funds were then used to purchase luxury cars to put on the dealership lot. During the period of the conspiracy, ALEXIS and his group distributed over 50 kilograms of cocaine from the business and laundered approximately $2.6 million in cash through its accounts. The business has since been liquidated.
ALEXIS was the last defendant sentenced in this case. Co-defendant CHRISTOPHER HILL, 37, of Smyrna, Georgia, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison; co-defendant EDWARD TAYLOR, 39, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison; and co-defendant LEROY TRICE, 44, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for their roles in the scheme.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Kurt R. Erskine prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
SECURITY GUARD SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
AND IMPERSONATING FBI AGENT
Defendant Falsely Claimed that He Investigated Child Exploitation Cases
January 20, 2009
Atlanta, GA - DOUGLAS YUTAKA RHOADES, 43, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to serve more than 5 years in prison on charges of possessing child pornography and falsely impersonating a federal agent.
“This defendant claimed to be an FBI agent who investigated child pornography cases, but in reality he was a security guard who collected child pornography,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “Through his lie of being an FBI agent, he tried to trick others into entrusting the care of their young children to him. Today’s sentence is a just outcome for a depraved man who tried to trade on the trust that the FBI has built with the American people. This sentence also underscores the harsh consequences for people who possess images of children being sexually exploited and thereby support the creation of child pornography.”
RHOADES was sentenced to 5 years, 3 months in prison to be followed by supervised release for the rest of his life. RHOADES pleaded guilty to the charges on November 3, 2008.
According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: Beginning in January 2008, Clayton County Police were investigating allegations of child molestation involving RHOADES. Witnesses informed the police that RHOADES stated that he was a Special Agent of the FBI assigned to the cyber crime unit. According to one witness, RHOADES claimed to work on child pornography investigations. Clayton County Police then contacted the FBI, who checked their records and determined that RHOADES was not and had never been an FBI employee.
When FBI agents arrested RHOADES pursuant to a federal arrest warrant, they found a fraudulent FBI badge and identification as well as numerous computer discs with handwritten labels suggesting that they contained child pornography. A federal judge issued a search warrant for RHOADES’ home and vehicle, and agents found discs containing approximately 800 images of prepubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, the FBI located a video of a “wedding” between RHOADES and a girl under the age of twelve along with written “wedding vows” between RHOADES and the child. At the time of his arrest, RHOADES was working as a security guard.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Clayton County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul Jones prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.
Comments (3)
Room4, I was just thinking after reading this, there is an awful lot of child porn and molestation cases recently in Georgia. I hope that it is not indicative of an increase but rather of better law enforcement and more of these creeps being caught. A great deal of the drugs would be stopped if our government would actually secure our borders and go after the dealers rather than the users. Raising children is no easy task and the past half century has made it a much more difficult job because of the perverts and drug dealers.
Dear BF,
Here, here.
I believe Border Security is more critical to our National Defense than Iraq and Afghanistan. The terrorists are coming to Mexico, Central American and South America to but their weapons from wealthy drugs and weapons cartels, who, in turn, have gotten their wealth and power from the drugs trade they cultivate in the United States.
But that same network trades in human trafficking and white slavery.
WE MUST SECURE OUR BORDERS. Period.
tw
Has anyone read the reports coming out of the State Department? The two top threats to the US are Pakistan and the fall of the Mexican government. The Drug Cartels are stepping up the murders of LE and government officials. More and more every day it is spilling across our borders and they are predicting the complete fall of the Mexican gov. If that is what we have to look forward to, you can imagine the mass exodus into this country. It is imperative to secure our borders, but nothing is being done. After the new President has time to study this latest report, I pray he will take the threat seriously and step up efforts to man the border with Mexico with a real force of Border Patrol. It isn’t too late.
The used car-drug dealer-gambling man is a common thread lately. Hmmm. Child Porn! Hmmm. Familiar.
Dear Room4,
Yes. I wonder if Conyers knows Summerville, through the Car Auction hangout.
tw