Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that, yesterday, an Anchorage man was sentenced by Chief District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to serve 12 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack in Anchorage, to launder thousands of dollars in drug proceeds, and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. Isaiah Holloway was the last of twelve defendants to be sentenced in the case, which alleged that the defendants were involved in a Fairview gang tied to a set of the “Bloods” street gang in California.
Isaiah Holloway, a/k/a “Z” and “Zaya,” age 27, previously pled guilty to conspiring with others to distribute drugs and to launder the proceeds. As part of his guilty plea, Holloway admitted that he sold drugs on multiple occasions with other co-conspirators, and that he traveled with other members of the conspiracy who carried drug proceeds and firearms in order to protect themselves and those proceeds.
Following his release from prison, Holloway will be on supervised release for five years. As part of the sentence, Judge Burgess ordered forfeiture of the defendant’s interest in the $76,335 of drug proceeds seized during the investigation into the drug trafficking operation.
According to charging and sentencing documents, the conspiracy began in 2013 and continued until December of 2015. During that time, Holloway acquired drugs, including heroin, cocaine, and crack, and worked with eleven other conspirators to sell the drugs to others. The members of this conspiracy called themselves the “Fairview Mob” or “326 Mob” and associated with members of the “Campanell Park Piru Bloods” street gang in Compton, California. The investigation revealed that “326” was code for “Compton to Fairview.” Several of the defendants were seen on both social media and seized videos flaunting their gang ties to California, making gang signs, and repeating the phrase “Fairview to Compton.” They also posted music videos on YouTube promoting violence and a gang lifestyle.
Holloway and several other conspirators maintained a “stash house” in the Government Hill neighborhood, where law enforcement officers found large amounts of drugs and money. Several defendants also shared a “dope phone” that drug users could call to reach available members to arrange for drug sales. During the time of this conspiracy, the members were involved in numerous crimes in Anchorage involving the use or possession of firearms, for which several face sentencing or have recently been sentenced in state court.
During several of the sentencing hearings, Judge Burgess noted the lengthy criminal records of the defendants, despite their relatively young ages. In fact, on three of the defendants, Judge Burgess imposed sentences greater than those recommended by applicable sentencing guidelines, citing the need to protect the public from the defendants. Despite their conduct in several videos, almost all of the defendants disclaimed membership in a gang at sentencing. Regardless, Judge Burgess stated that the members of this conspiracy were living and promoting a dangerous gang lifestyle. He repeatedly stressed the seriousness and dangerousness of the crimes – which not only included the sale of drugs but the use of weapons to protect the conspiracy’s interests. Judge Burgess stated, “there are only two endings for people who get involved with this type of activity . . . jail or death.”
“Fairview is not Compton, and thanks to the cooperation of federal, state, and municipal agencies, it will never be Compton,” stated Deputy Criminal Chief Frank Russo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “But if you act like a gangster, and commit crimes like a gangster, rest assured that law enforcement and the criminal justice system will treat you like a gangster.”
To date, the following individuals have been sentenced as part of this investigation:
- Ishmael Holloway, 24, of Anchorage, to 10 years in prison for the drug conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
- Lamont Moore, 37, of Compton, California, to 10 years for the drug conspiracy;
- Michael Reynold, 24, of Anchorage, to five years for drug trafficking near a school or playground;
- Dorian Topps, 23, of Anchorage, to four years for drug trafficking;
- Angelo Charter, 27, of Anchorage, to four years for the drug conspiracy;
- Karl Maddox Jr., 26, of Anchorage, to 40 months for drug trafficking;
- Christopher Meeks, 23, of Anchorage, to 22 months for drug trafficking near a school or playground;
- Felton Reynold, 28, of Anchorage, to 20 months for drug trafficking near a school or playground;
- Delano Williams, 26, of Anchorage, to 20 months for drug trafficking near a school or playground;
- Leonard Moore Jr., 27, of Anchorage, to 15 months for receiving a firearm while under felony indictment and providing false statements; and
- Malia Green, 22, of Anchorage, to eight months for drug trafficking.
One charged conspirator remains at large: Dearon Walton, a purported member of the Campanella Park Piru Bloods of California.
This case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and led by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Anchorage Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Russo and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Bennett, a municipal prosecutor on loan to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to address gang crimes. The Municipality has partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2007 by supplying prosecutorial resources to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to assist in drug and violent crime cases in Anchorage. Since 2007, these municipal prosecutors have been responsible for over 200 federal felony prosecutions involving drug, gun, and violent crime cases.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Loeffler also praised the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, which led the financial investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration also provided assistance.