In Oklahoma City, Brandon Ye, aged 43, has received a sentence of 108 months in a federal penitentiary. This sentencing comes after his conviction for possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, as stated by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Ye faced charges from a comprehensive indictment by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2024, which included multiple co-defendants linked to a large-scale illicit marijuana operation. During an investigation into another drug operation in December 2022, law enforcement from the FBI, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma City Police observed a suspicious scene involving an ‘Amazon’ delivery van at a known drug house. The van, filled with trash bags, was traced back to a business and a residence both registered to Ye, revealing the operation’s scale and Ye’s involvement.
A supporting affidavit indicates that Ye coordinated with others to collect marijuana, which was vacuum-sealed and stored in trash bags, from various licensed growers in Oklahoma. These were then transported to a facility managed by Ye and later moved to warehouses for eastward shipment. From mid-2022 to early 2023, it’s believed that Ye facilitated the shipment of around 28 tons of marijuana from Oklahoma.
Ye entered a guilty plea to two charges on September 11, 2023, acknowledging his role in the distribution of marijuana and the use of a firearm in the process.
The final judgment was handed down by U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk on June 20, 2024, with Ye’s substantial drug trafficking activities being a significant factor in the sentencing.
The successful resolution of this case was due to efforts by the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma City Police Department, under the umbrella of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program. This initiative aims to dismantle the top tiers of drug traffickers and criminal networks through a coordinated, multi-agency approach. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wilson D. McGarry.
Public records offer further details on the proceedings.
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