DAYTON – Gene Talley, 48 of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Dayton today to to 100 months in prison as the lead defendant in a Texas-to-Ohio heroin operation. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.
According to court documents, beginning in or about 2007, Talley met with another individual in Austin, Texas who agreed to provide controlled substances, including heroin, to Talley for distribution in the Southern District of Ohio.
As part of the scheme, Talley arranged for other individuals to collect the drugs and bring them to Ohio, and sent money back to the supplier through couriers. On three occasions, law enforcement intercepted the money, including: approximately $99,000 seized by police in Austin, Texas in December 2012; approximately $230,000 seized by police in Chicago in June 2015; and approximately $240,000 seized by police in Winfield, Texas. The seized money was Talley’s payment for multiple kilograms of heroin.
Four others charged as part of the scheme include Brianna Reid, Adriauna Smith, Syreeta Scruggs and Kenneth Patterson.
Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the DEA’s Drug Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Andrew J. Hunt represented the United States in this case
