Lee, Lyons Charged In Federal Court
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has announced that Khalil Lajuan Lyons and Jason Tyrell Lee were arraigned or appeared last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston in Great Falls on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints.
Lyons, 19, of Eastpoint, Mich., made a not guilty plea on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl.
If convicted of the most serious crime, Lyons faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
Lyons was detained pending further proceedings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
According to court documents, Lyons and Marlina Nannett Martinez in or near Wolf Point conspired to distribute oxycodone and fentanyl from on or about Oct. 24, 2020, and continuing through at least November 2020.
Lee, 45, of Prior Lake, Minn., made a not guilty plea on the charges conspiracy to possess and distribute oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.
If convicted of the most serious crime, Lee faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release.
Lee was released pending further proceedings.
The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case.
According to court records, Lee and Kaycee Lynn Menz conspired and agreed to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone in or near Poplar and Wolf Point from about June 2014 through at least May of 2020.
Lee is also charged with committing the following offense against the United States: to knowingly conduct financial transactions affecting interstate commerce, which transactions involved the proceeds of specified unlawful activity including possessing with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court records, Lee and Menz deposited currency generated from the unlawful activity into Montana branches of Wells Fargo Bank and then withdrew the currency from those same accounts at Minnesota branches of Wells Fargo. They are also charged with transferring to one another currency generated from the unlawful activity using electronic money transfer service providers by directly transferring money to one another and arranging to send and receive currency on their behalf. They are also charged for transferring money from Wells Fargo Bank electronically to accounts at other institutions. They are also charged with depositing currency generated from the unlawful activity into an account at a bank to pay the rent for a leased residential address in Poplar.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
