Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Fifteen Kokomo Methamphetamine Traffickers Dealers Sentenced to a Total of Over 175 Years in Federal Prison
INDIANAPOLIS — Fifteen individuals have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in a large drug trafficking operation based in Kokomo.
According to court documents, in 2020, the Kokomo Police Department Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement partners began an investigation into multiple individuals trafficking illegal drugs in Kokomo. Over the course of two years, fifteen people were charged in the Southern District of Indiana on various drug trafficking-related charges.
As a result of the years’ long investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 18.3 pounds of methamphetamine, 171 grams of fentanyl, 48 grams of heroin, $95,664 in U.S. Currency, and 11 firearms. The following individuals were charged and have sentenced to federal prison:
| Name, Age, Residence | Offense | Prison Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Demario Barker, 34, Kokomo | Distribution of methamphetamine | 25 years |
| Shawn Brent, 45, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 17.5 years |
| Deriq Watters, 33, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 21 years, 10 months |
| Janie Maxieson, 56, Fishers | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 15 years |
| Eddie Maxieson, 52, Fishers | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 15 years |
| Carl Chandler, 44, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 15 years |
| Zachary Burkhead, 38, Kokomo | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine | 14 years, 2 months |
| Cody Long, 27, Kokomo | Distribution of methamphetamine | 11 years |
| Jerry Glenn, 36, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 11 years |
| Cassandra Shepard, 42, Kokomo | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine | 10 years |
| Shaquille Cannon, 32, Kokomo | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine | 7 years, 8 months |
| Cynthia Ponder, 37, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 5 years |
| Amy Lowe, 33, Kokomo | Distribution of methamphetamine | 5 years |
| Sirtorry Carr, 33, Kokomo | Felon in possession of a firearm | 3 years, 1 month served |
| Matthew Vance, 32, Kokomo | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 3 years, 10 months |
“Methamphetamine and other deadly controlled substances have devastating impacts on users, their loved ones, and our communities,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Drug traffickers like these fifteen defendants, responsible for pushing this poison into our neighborhoods, must be held accountable for the suffering they cause in search of quick profits. This large-scale, multi-year operation is an outstanding example of the impact we can have with the help of our state and local law enforcement partners. I commend the efforts of the DEA and Kokomo Police Department to make our communities safer by getting meth and armed meth dealers off our streets.”
“This investigation serves as another example that drug trafficking in Kokomo will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent for the safety of our community,” said Kokomo Police Chief, Douglas Stout. “The Kokomo Police Department is very thankful to be able to work with partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney’s Office, and we commend them for all their assistance in the prosecution of offenders in our community.”
The Kokomo Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by the IRS Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judges, Sarah Evans Barker, James P. Hanlon, Jane Magnus-Stinson, James R. Sweeney, and Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Each of the defendants will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for between three and ten years following their release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Brady, who prosecuted these cases.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.