In Albany, New York, a court case revealed the guilty pleas of three individuals involved in a significant marijuana trafficking and financial laundering operation. The individuals, James Tyrell Daniels, 40, from Fresno, California, known by aliases “Red” and “Ghost”; Consanga Harris, 63, from Troy, New York, also known as “Sondy”; and Earnest Flood, 66, from Richmond, Virginia, commonly referred to as “Pop”, confessed to their crimes yesterday.
These admissions were announced by Carla B. Freedman, United States Attorney; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s New York Field Division; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge at the DEA’s New York Division; Daniel DeWolf, Troy Police Chief; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI’s Buffalo Field Office.
Upon their confessions, Daniels, Harris, and Flood acknowledged their involvement in a substantial drug operation that was centered in Fresno, California. This organization was responsible for cultivating large quantities of marijuana and THC, which they then distributed across various states including New York’s Capital Region.
Daniels disclosed that he collaborated with Dwight A. Singletary II, known as “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” in managing cultivation sites directly behind his residence and within a large-scale commercial warehouse. This operation came to light when authorities seized 424 mature marijuana plants during a raid on June 15, 2022. Surveillance video from the site showed Daniels alongside Singletary, managing the cultivation processes and logistics.
The distribution network operated out of Fast Pack & Ship, a shipping company in Fresno, through which Daniels, among others, sent packages of marijuana and THC-laden edibles across the country using mainstream couriers like UPS and FedEx. Ownership of Fast Pack & Ship changed hands several times, from Sammy Olague to Nehemiah Fane, known as “Neil”, and then to McKenzie Merrialice Coles, known as “Kenzie”.
These shipments, often disguised in innocuous packaging such as dog food containers and luggage sealed with eBay tape to avoid detection, were sent to various states including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and more. From 2017 to 2022, Fast Pack & Ship sent approximately 1,292 packages to the Capital Region alone, totaling about 7,068 kilograms or 15,582 pounds of marijuana.
Daniels also confessed to laundering the profits from this operation through multiple entities and bank accounts, with the help of Fane and other associates, further masking the illegal origin of the funds.
Harris and Flood admitted to their roles in the operation, with Harris receiving and handling the drug shipments in Troy, and Flood overseeing sales and financial transactions related to the drug proceeds in Richmond. Flood coordinated with Singletary and others to facilitate these transactions and launder money through various payment platforms.
Daniels, with a history of serious felony convictions, is facing a substantial prison sentence that could range from 15 years to life, in addition to fines up to $20 million. His charges include both drug trafficking and money laundering. Harris and Flood also face severe penalties for their involvement.
Their sentencing is pending approval from U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, with Daniels potentially facing a predetermined 180 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release.
Together with Singletary, Coles, Fane, and others, Daniels, Harris, and Flood were implicated in a broader indictment that includes charges of drug distribution, money laundering, and additional offenses. While some defendants have not pleaded guilty and maintain their innocence, others involved in the case have already entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing.
The prosecution is conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program, which aims to dismantle major criminal operations affecting the U.S. The case is investigated by the ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department, and HSI, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia leading the prosecution efforts.
