Men plead guilty to marijuana trafficking

Glennon Grubb, Timothy Markley and Mark Dake, Jr. have pleaded guilty to federal charges involving a marijuana trafficking conspiracy, according to Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap.

According to court documents, beginning in 2006, an unindicted co-conspirator shipped multi-kilogram packages of marijuana from Texas to various addresses in Jefferson County. At Glennon Grubb’s direction, Timothy Markley and Mark Dake, Jr. recruited Missouri residents to use their addresses as destination points for marijuana shipments.  Grubb caused the marijuana received to be distributed for sale to individual users by Markley, Dake Jr., and others.  Grubb wire-transferred payments for the marijuana from Missouri to Texas. Between 2006 and 2009, Grubb caused to be wired large sums of money structured so that each payment was slightly less than the $3,000 reporting requirement reporting set forth in Title 31, United States Code, Section 5325.  Grubb paid local residents approximately $50 per transaction to wire sums at various Walmart stores in Jefferson County and the surrounding region.  Multiple Walmart locations were used in an attempt to avoid scrutiny of the transactions.

Glennon Grubb, 53, St. Mary, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and one felony count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to structure financial transactions. 

Timothy Markley, 21, House Springs, also pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. 

All defendants appeared before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Sentencing for Grubb and Markley is scheduled for March 12, 2010.

Mark Dake, Jr., 24, St. Charles, pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and is scheduled for sentencing Jan. 21, 2010.

Additionally, Grubb and Dake are charged with a forfeiture count, which will require the forfeiture of all property representing proceeds of the illegal activity.  Subject to forfeiture is $3,814 of U.S. currency that was seized from Grubb and Dake by law enforcement officers during the course of the investigation.

They now face the following maximum penalties:

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, 20 years prison and/or fines up to $1,000,000; and Conspiracy to commit money laundering, 20 years prison and/or fines up to $500,000.