Below are some of our federal case profiles. If you are looking for a particular type of case, please contact us as we have additional case profiles in our database.

For state case profiles, please click here.

Mandy Martinson was "guilty by association" in her boyfriend's drug case.

Tammi Bloom's life was shattered when she was implicated in her husband's cocaine conspiracy and sentenced to federal prison.  At the time the conspiracy took place, she was working full time and attending nursing classes.  She has two children who are now 13 and 15 years old.

After selling crack for six months, DeJarion was arrested and sentenced to twenty years in prison when he was just 23 years old.   At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr. said, “This is one of those situations where I’d like to see a congressman sitting before me.”

Charles Carver's struggle with addiction resulted in his arrest and conviction for sending a package containing crack cocaine to his brother. His sentencing judge remarked, "Congress passed these sentencing guidelines and whether it is the appropriate way to handle it, I still say we have lost the war.  The war has been lost as far as I can see.  Because I keep handing out these stiff sentences and they keep coming before me."

A mother of four from Florida, Monica accompanied her boyfriend to a pawnshop to sell his .22-caliber pistol. She provided her ID because her boyfriend didn't bring his own, and the couple got $30 for the gun. But Monica had a previous criminal record for minor drug charges, and when federal authorities ran a routine check of the pawnshop's records, they produced a "hit" -- a felon in possession of a firearm. That's automatically 15 years in federal prison, which is exactly what Clyburn got. "I never even held the gun," she noted in an interview from prison.

In October 1990, Daisy joined her ex-husband, cousin and a couple of friends on a boat trip to several Caribbean Islands.  Unbeknownst to Daisy, the other travelers planned to smuggle cocaine into the United States on the boat.  Upon leaving the Bahamas, the U.S. Coast Guard and Bahamian Police searched the vessel after seizing 41 kilograms of cocaine on an island 150 yards away.  Everyone on board was arrested, and a more extensive search later revealed 176.1 kilograms of cocaine hidden near the fuel tank. 

Lamont and Lawrence were arrested just months after their graduation from Howard University, after they were pulled into the criminal justice system through another man's cocaine conspiracy.  Both had worked part-time for five years to pay their tuition and were excellent students planning to become lawyers.

Sabrina is serving a mandatory 12-year prison sentence for involvement in her boyfriend's methamphetamine conspiracy.

After 13 years in prison for alleged involvement in a crack cocaine conspiracy in North Carolina, Alva Mae Groves died in federal prison on Aug. 9.

Lisa’s downward spiral began with the death of her nine-year-old son, Steven, a victim of cerebral palsy.  On May 5, 1992, seven months before Lisa graduated from law school, Steven died of a seizure. Lisa sank into depression. Instead of seeking the treatment she needed, she drank heavily, gained 65 pounds, and within five years had developed a severe methamphetamine addiction.  She also married her live-in boyfriend, a man who spent her money and beat her frequently, sending her to the emergency room on several occasions.

Anthea Harris was married to a manager and distributor in the “Gucci Hole” cocaine distribution ring in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  She knew of his work but, being young and naïve, turned a blind eye to it.  On October 28, 1993, Anthea reports she was going to the mall with her husband when he said he needed to stop at an apartment in Ft. Lauderdale.  Two confidential informants working for local law enforcement occupied this apartment, which authorities had equipped with video and audio recording devices.  The informants had previously contacted Anthea’s husband about buying ¼ kilogram of crack cocaine. 

Once addicted to methamphetamine, Barbara has turned her life around in prison but is still serving a 30-year sentence.

At the age of 19, Brian was sentenced to 11 years and 3 mos. in federal prison for drug conspiracy.

Sharvonne's ex-boyfriend was a crack kingpin.  She and her ex, Mathis, had a turbulent relationship and Sharvonne lived with him on and off during her pregnancy.  Eventually, their relationship failed, and she moved out for good.  Before she left him, however, she engaged in some activity on Mathis’ behalf: she once counted money, she occasionally let his employees drop off drugs at their home, and she relayed messages to and for him. After Sharvonne permanently moved out of Mathis’ home, the Mathis organization was busted and she was arrested. 

The jury hung in Leander's first trial; the second found him guilty of conspiracy to sell powder and crack cocaine. The government said Leander tracked packages through his Federal Express job and attended two drug transactions. He tooks his case to trial and lost. The operation's kingpin received 11 years and Leander 10 years; others, including a main dealer, cooperated with authorities for shorter sentences.

Steve became involved in growing marijuana with two other men so he could help his brother, who was suffering from AIDS.  Marijuana helped relieve his severe nausea and kept him from losing weight.  The plants Steve and his partners grew were small (1-2 feet high in 6 inch pots) and all fit into one 1600 sq. ft. room.  The actual weight of the marijuana was 7 grams per plant, but under the standardized system of the federal government, each plant was assigned a weight of 1,000 grams. Steve was sentenced to a 10-year mandatory minimum, which was automatically doubled to 20 years because of his prior felony conviction. 

After David's wife was seriously injured and could no longer work, the family needed money. David's mistaken solution was to grow marijuana.

Now best known as the "pot dealer who got 55 years", Weldon, age 27, is slated to remain behind bars until 2059, when he will be 78. At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Cassell called Weldon’s sentence “unjust, cruel, and even irrational” and wrote a 67-page opinion urging President Bush to commute Angelos’ sentence to no more than 18 years.  In addition to this, 29 former judges and prosecutors filed a ‘friend of the court’ amicus brief beseeching Judge Cassell to declare the mandatory minimum sentence in this case unconstitutional.  Unfortunately, none of these efforts proved fruitful and Weldon Angelos is currently serving his 55-year sentence, but taking his appeal to the Supreme Court.

Greg Cooke’s case is emblematic of the current drug conspiracy laws.  Greg was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride but was found not guilty of the two counts of possession of cocaine that were leveled against him.

Hamedah Hasan, a mother of three, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for furthering a drug conspiracy involving other family members.

Although only 5.6 grams of crack were attributed to Marcus at the time of his arrest, he was held accountable for 37.4 grams based on the statements made by the informant and the other witness. Marcus was 24 years old and had been addicted to drugs for six years, beginning shortly after his mother’s death in 1993 and escalating throughout his early twenties.

Dana's involvement in a drug conspiracy was motivated by her addiction to meth, and resulted in a 19-year, seven months federal sentence.  

When sentencing Juan, Judge Laffitte said, “I pass sentence in this case with a heavy heart because of the youth of this defendant, but that’s what the law says, and that’s what I have to do.”

Deborah's addiction to methamphetamine eventually led to a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.