6 Nevadans arrested in multistate drug trafficking operation
Federal authorities have arrested seven people, six from the Las Vegas area, in a drug trafficking organization that operated in several Western states.
Members of the group — which operated in Idaho, Nevada, Washington, North Dakota and Montana — face felony charges of distributing controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.
The group is alleged to have unlawfully distributed, heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine, earning roughly $1.3 million in proceeds since 2009, according to federal authorities in Idaho.
The arrests were the result of a secret federal indictment returned in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho in January.
Among those arrested were Loren Toelle, 51, Steven Wayne Jackson, 30, Sean Lee Jackson, 27, Robert Lamar Hill, 54, and Kristin Rene Wilson, 28, all of Las Vegas.
Also taken into custody for their involvement in the alleged money laundering scheme were Sherlann Simon, 34, of North Las Vegas, and Stanley Toelle, 61, of Coeur d'Alene. An eighth defendant, Jessica Nadine Frederick, 27, of Liberty Lake, Washington, remains a fugitive.
FBI, IRS and federal drug agents in several states, including Nevada, participated in the long-running investigation. Authorities said they executed 18 search warrants in Idaho, Nevada and North Dakota last week.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ
