RALEIGH, N.C. – A Jamaican man who worked with his estranged wife and co-conspirators who helped him sell marijuana and launder drug profits was sentenced to 15 years in prison, officials said this week.
On Sept. 30, 2013, Andrew Wayne Landells, 47, of Jamaica, plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, officials said.
According to the investigation, Landells directed his estranged wife, and at least seven coconspirators to help him in the trafficking of marijuana and laundering of drug proceeds from 2002 until April 2012.
DEA Agent William F. Baxley said: “Drug traffickers utilize a multitude of sophisticated methods in which to hide their assets. One of DEA’s highest priorities is to relentlessly pursue and destroy these drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. This global drug trafficking and money laundering investigation was a success because of the local, regional, national, and foreign law enforcement partnerships and our commitment to bring this organization to justice in the United States.”
The investigation revealed that from 2002 to 2012, the defendant was involved in the trafficking of marijuana from Mexico throughout, New York, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, and North Carolina, according to authorities.
The defendant then used the drug proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles and residences, and to rent residences in others’ names. Landells used numerous residences across the country to store the drugs.
Additionally, officials said he maintained storage units and United Parcel Service mail boxes in Raleigh, North Carolina; West Palm Beach, Florida; Cary, North Carolina; and Wellington, Florida, for purposes of storing illegal substances and furthering his illegal activities.
In order to disguise the source of the proceeds from his illegal activities, Landells also operated sham companies purporting to be in the candle manufacturing business.
He established the following business fronts to facilitate the laundering of drug proceeds:
- Olufina Candle in Durham
- LuGhan in Durham
- Heru in Durham
- Botanica Olomi in Raleigh.
There is no evidence of any actual revenue from candle manufacturing.
Landells used numerous aliases, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, and passports to avoid detection by law enforcement as he was wanted by authorities in multiple states, having escaped from a hospital in New York following an arrest for passport fraud when he was intercepted on a flight from England to the United States using a fraudulent passport in 1999.
Landells had also been federally indicted in Virginia on drug charges in 1989; however those charges were eventually dismissed due to the inability to locate Landells, officials said.
Furthermore, he has pending charges in New York for felonious counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Loaded Firearm, and Reckless Endangerment.
Agents recovered multiple alias identifications for Landells in two storage units in Raleigh. Co-conspirators in the scheme further reported that Landells obtained, used, and also provided them with false driver’s licenses, birth certificates, and Social Security numbers to facilitate the offense.
At sentencing, Landells was held accountable for the distribution of up to 2,200 pounds of marijuana. He was held accountable for laundering money from drug proceeds through the straw purchase of at least seven pieces of real property, 13 motor vehicles, and four businesses, all with a combined value of over $1 million.
Additionally, Landells possessed firearms during his drug-trafficking activities, maintained premises to store marijuana for the purpose of distribution.
The judge found that he maintained an aggravating role in the offense by directing the activities of more than five participants to assist him in the trafficking of marijuana and laundering of drug proceeds from 2002 to April 2012.
As a result of this case, the federal government has seized and forfeited the following items:
- A 2005 BMW motorcycle
- 2004 BMW 645 automobile
- 2006 Bentley Flying Spur
- 2011 Mercedes Benz C300W
- 2006 Rolls Royce Phantom
- A home in Raleigh, NC, custom candle-making equipment
- A Yamaha Clavinova piano
- Over $51,700 in cash
The federal government recovered about $1.2 million.
As part of the sentence, the judge entered a money judgment against Landells in the amount of $1 million and forfeited his interest in several properties located in New Jersey and Florida.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted with the forfeiture of assets.