Post by drugbust on Apr 5, 2012 14:22:42 GMT -5
www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-couple-admits-sending-crack-cocaine-to-indoor/article_01c7e154-7e90-11e1-898f-001a4bcf6878.html
The former owner of the River City Rage indoor football team had a St. Louis County couple mail him crack cocaine at the Omaha, Neb., headquarters of his other team 83 times, the couple admitted in federal court Wednesday.
The pair, Crystal Watson, 34, and Bryant Watson Jr., 35, admitted mailing one to three ounces of crack at a time to Jeff Sprowls, owner of the Indoor Football League's Omaha Beef, for roughly a year in exchange for cash that he deposited in a MoneyGram account.
The Watson's statements came during their guilty pleas to a felony charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 28 grams of crack Wednesday afternoon in federal court here. The pleas result from an investigation that began with a tip to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service about strange packages and suspected drug shipments to Sprowls.
Team employees told investigators that they suspected that Sprowls had a drug problem, and speculated that drug shipments every seven to ten days were paid for with furniture and a flat screen TV, according to a court affidavit filed by U.S. Postal Inspector John Jackman.
That investigation led to the interception of a package addressed to the Beef offices, and the discovery of three ounces of what appeared to be crack cocaine inside, Jackman wrote.
Investigators allowed the package to be delivered before executing a search warrant for the Beef offices and Sprowls black 2006 Chrysler 300C with the Missouri license plate “RAGE1.”
Crack was found in Sprowls' pants pocket, Jackman wrote.
Sprowls admitted having received roughly 50 packages, and paying for the drugs with money placed in Watson's Money Gram account, Jackman wrote.
In all, investigators traced more than 80 Priority Mail or Express Mail packages that were similar to the package intercepted from Feb. 11, 2010 to Aug. 30, 2011, Jackman wrote.
Investigators also searched the Watson's home in the 3300 block of Rex Avenue in Breckenridge Hills, finding two guns, court documents say. They were indicted Feb. 2
The charge carries a penalty of five to 40 years in prison, although federal “safety valve” provisions could mean just two to three years when the Watson are sentenced June 29.
Sprowls did not immediately return a call to his cell phone seeking comment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis, who prosecuted the Watsons, said that the allegations involving Sprowls have been referred to federal prosecutors in Nebraska. The case could also be handled locally, he said.
The Beef are currently tied for fourth place in the IFL's United Conference, with a 2-2 record.
The River City Rage played at the St. Charles Family Arena until 2009, when the team was shut down.
The former owner of the River City Rage indoor football team had a St. Louis County couple mail him crack cocaine at the Omaha, Neb., headquarters of his other team 83 times, the couple admitted in federal court Wednesday.
The pair, Crystal Watson, 34, and Bryant Watson Jr., 35, admitted mailing one to three ounces of crack at a time to Jeff Sprowls, owner of the Indoor Football League's Omaha Beef, for roughly a year in exchange for cash that he deposited in a MoneyGram account.
The Watson's statements came during their guilty pleas to a felony charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 28 grams of crack Wednesday afternoon in federal court here. The pleas result from an investigation that began with a tip to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service about strange packages and suspected drug shipments to Sprowls.
Team employees told investigators that they suspected that Sprowls had a drug problem, and speculated that drug shipments every seven to ten days were paid for with furniture and a flat screen TV, according to a court affidavit filed by U.S. Postal Inspector John Jackman.
That investigation led to the interception of a package addressed to the Beef offices, and the discovery of three ounces of what appeared to be crack cocaine inside, Jackman wrote.
Investigators allowed the package to be delivered before executing a search warrant for the Beef offices and Sprowls black 2006 Chrysler 300C with the Missouri license plate “RAGE1.”
Crack was found in Sprowls' pants pocket, Jackman wrote.
Sprowls admitted having received roughly 50 packages, and paying for the drugs with money placed in Watson's Money Gram account, Jackman wrote.
In all, investigators traced more than 80 Priority Mail or Express Mail packages that were similar to the package intercepted from Feb. 11, 2010 to Aug. 30, 2011, Jackman wrote.
Investigators also searched the Watson's home in the 3300 block of Rex Avenue in Breckenridge Hills, finding two guns, court documents say. They were indicted Feb. 2
The charge carries a penalty of five to 40 years in prison, although federal “safety valve” provisions could mean just two to three years when the Watson are sentenced June 29.
Sprowls did not immediately return a call to his cell phone seeking comment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Davis, who prosecuted the Watsons, said that the allegations involving Sprowls have been referred to federal prosecutors in Nebraska. The case could also be handled locally, he said.
The Beef are currently tied for fourth place in the IFL's United Conference, with a 2-2 record.
The River City Rage played at the St. Charles Family Arena until 2009, when the team was shut down.