Federal prosecutors said Tuesday three more suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling of pounds of cocaine to Alaska through the Las Vegas airport.
In August, an Anchorage federal jury charged three Las Vegas men for sneaking carry-on luggage packed with cocaine from Nevada to Alaska since 2012.
The new defendants are 46-year-old Clarence Anthony Hatton, aka "C-Money," of Henderson, Nevada; 35-year-old Michael Vontrell Langdon, aka "Money Mike," of Renton, Washington; and 38-year-old Antonio Demetrius Beckwith, aka "Twin," of Anchorage.
They join accused co-conspirators Daren D. Cole, 47; Dewane E. Blue, 37; and Bryan M. Bledsoe, 36.
Prosecutors say all six of the men participated in the crimes. The federal indictment alleges a total of 27 instances in which they facilitated the transport and sale of the drugs as well as the division of drug profits.
Bledsoe used his airport employee credentials to bring cocaine into McCarran International Airport without going through security, according to the indictment.
On June 1, 2014, Bledsoe carried a bag containing about 22 pounds of cocaine into the airport. He met one of his alleged partners in a bathroom and handed off the drugs, according to the indictment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank V. Russo said each of the defendants, if convicted, faces a potential life sentence and mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for drug trafficking conspiracy charges.
Alaska Dispatch Publishing