Sallisaw woman named in federal drug conspiracy indictment

A Sallisaw woman is one of 13 individuals who was indicted on Nov. 13 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to Christopher J. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The indictment alleges that beginning in or about August 2022 and continuing until on or about the date of the indictment, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendants willfully and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, and with others known and unknown to the grand jury, to commit offenses.

Each of the following defendants stands indicted for Drug Conspiracy, in violation of Title 21, U.S.code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A):

• Tracie A. Sells, 54, of Sallisaw

• Heath L. Taylor, 44, of McAlester

• Aaron G. Key, 46, of McAlester

• Mallory N. Laird, 36, of Poteau

• Cody W. Reece, 33, of Poteau

• Terri A. Stroud, 52, of Spiro

• Kandi A. Hankins, 42, of Poteau

• Travis A. Powers, 37, of Starr, S.C.

• Heather L. Brown, 32, of McAlester

• Jeremy P. Newman, 46, of Poteau

• Stephen D. Embrey, 64, of Poteau

• Whitney Granite-Jeffrey, 33, of Spiro

• Randi S. Gann, 33, of Poteau

If convicted on the drug conspiracy charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

In addition to drug conspiracy charges, seven defendants are also charged with possession with Intent to distribute fentanyl or methamphetamine, and defendant Granite-Jeffery is also charged with felon in possession of firearms. If convicted, these defendants will face additional sentences.

According to a press release, the charges arose from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation, which identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The joint investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, working in cooperation with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Additionally, several law enforcement agencies contributed at various stages of the investigation, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Poteau, Spiro and Seminole Police Departments, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, Pittsburg, Le-Flore and Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Offices, and the United States Marshals Service.

“A federal indictment was unsealed after members of a drug trafficking organization operating within the Eastern District of Oklahoma were arrested on federal warrants for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl,” said Wilson. “The arrests mark the culmination of a months-long multiagency investigation. I want to thank each of the federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement officers for their many hours of work in this case. Illegal drugs continue to destroy lives every day, and the United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating and dismantling groups peddling poison in our communities.”

“Those who are responsible for the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in our communities will be held accountable. Our families deserve to live and work in safe environments, free from drugs, and we will never waver in our efforts to achieve that goal,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez, whose office oversees all DEA operations in Oklahoma.

“We want this investigation to serve as a clear and powerful message that Oklahoma is not a safe haven for drug criminals,” said Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson. “Meth and fentanyl take more Oklahoma lives each year than any other drugs. And my agency is dedicated to working with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively target, dismantle and prosecute those who threaten the safety and well-being of our citizens.”

Assistant United States attorneys Erin Cornell and Ryan Bondura are prosecuting the case. A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt but is a method of bringing formal charges against defendants. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.