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International
marijuana
trafficker
from
metro
Detroit
sentenced
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
The
final
defendant
in a
sixteen-defendant
indictment
charging
conspiracy
to
import
marijuana
from
Canada
and
distribute
it in
the
United
States
was
sentenced
today in
federal
court,
United
States
Attorney
Barbara
L.
McQuade
announced.
McQuade
was
joined
in the
announcement
by
Special
Agent in
Charge
Robert
L. Corso,
Drug
Enforcement
Administration,
and
Special
Hassan
Abboud,
39, of
Sterling
Heights,
Michigan
was
sentenced
by
United
States
District
Judge
Avern
Cohn to
84
months
imprisonment,
to be
followed
by four
years of
supervised
release.
According
to court
records,
from
2005-2009
Abboud
was the
leader
of an
international
drug
trafficking
organization
that
imported
thousands
of
pounds
of
marijuana
from the
Toronto,
Canada
area
into the
U.S.
Cash
seizures
of more
than
$1.8
million
was
seized
as a
result
of this
prosecution.
The
conspirators
used
various
methods
to
smuggle
high-quality
“B.C.
Bud”
marijuana
from the
Toronto,
Canada,
area
through
metropolitan
Detroit
using
trucks,
boats
and
trains,
according
to court
documents.
During
the time
frame of
the
conspiracy,
Abboud
was
living
near
Toronto,
Canada,
where he
obtained
the
marijuana
and
would
direct
shipments
of money
into
Canada.
Couriers
were
used to
distribute
the
marijuana
in metro
Detroit
as well
as the
Chicago,
Illinois
area.
Abboud
remains
in
custody,
where he
has been
since
April
12,
2012. On
that
date, he
was
arrested
in a
personal
pleasure
boat in
Lake
Saint
Clair,
traveling
from
Canada
to the
United
States.
His
presence
in
Canada
was in
violation
of his
bond.
Robert
L. Corso,
Special
Agent in
Charge
for the
DEA,
stated
that,
"This
investigation
shows
that the
DEA
works
closely
with our
Canadian
law
enforcement
counterparts
in an
effort
to
secure
our
northern
border.
This
investigation,
with the
combined
efforts
of our
local,
federal
and
Canadian
partners,
successfully
dismantled
a large
high-grade
marijuana
smuggling
organization."
"In
working
with our
international
law
enforcement
partners,
IRS-Criminal
Investigation
helped
to trace
the
illegal
proceeds
of a
narcotics
ring. As
a
result,
Abboud
has been
removed
from our
streets
and
sitting
behind
bars,"
said
Erick
Martinez,
IRS-Criminal
Investigation
Special
Agent in
Charge.
United
States
Attorney
McQuade
congratulated
the DEA
Task
Force,
Toronto
Police
Services,
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement,
Internal
Revenue
Service
Criminal
Investigation,
and the
Sterling
Heights
Police
Department,
who were
assisted
by
Customs
and
Border
Protection,
Macomb
County
Enforcement
Team,
the FBI,
the
Coast
Guard
and the
Shelby
Township
Police,
as well
as our
Canadian
law
enforcement
partners
involved
in the
case. |
