Man sentenced in marijuana trafficking charges

Mark Dake, Jr., was sentenced to 30 months in prison on federal charges involving a marijuana trafficking conspiracy, according to United States Attorney Richard G. Callahan announced today.

According to court documents at the time of the pleas of Dake, and co-conspirators Glennon Grubb and Timothy Markley, 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.

Mark Dake, Jr., 24, St. Charles, pleaded guilty on October 22, to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. He also agreed to forfeit $1,034 in cash proceeds of drug trafficking seized from him at the time of his arrest.

Glennon Grubb, 53, St. Mary, pleaded guilty Dec. 22, 2009, 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 on Dec. 22, 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. Sentencings for Grubb and Markley are scheduled for March 12, 2010.

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years prison and/or fines up to $1 million; conspiracy to commit money laundering, carries a maximum of 20 years prison and/or fines up to $500,000.