Source: US FBI
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Ten residents of Pennsylvania and Arizona have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on charges of violating racketeering laws, including acts of bribery conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute various controlled substances, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on July 22 and unsealed today, named the following 10 individuals as defendants:
Lakesha Stith, 45, of Johnstown, Pa.;
Ashley Aguilar, 26, of Phoenix, Ariz.;
Mikal Davis, 48, incarcerated at Indiana County Jail;
James Johnson-Ross, 26, of Altoona, Pa.;
Marcos Monarrez Jr., 26, incarcerated at FDC Philadelphia;
Jessica Niebauer, 34, of Altoona, Pa;
Monique Valencia, 29, of Phoenix, Ariz.;
Blake Young, 36, incarcerated at SCI Laurel Highlands;
Asiah Young-Atwell, 30, of Johnstown, Pa.; and
Carlos Zamora, 29, incarcerated at Northeast Ohio Correctional Center.
According to the Indictment, from in and around July 2023, and continuing until on or about December 19, 2023, Stith, Davis, Johnson-Ross, Monarrez, Young, Young-Atwell, and Zamora conducted and participated in the affairs of an enterprise through racketeering activities inside the Cambria County Prison (CCP) in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. The Indictment alleges that Stith and Young-Atwell, who were employed as a correctional officer and medical staff nurse, respectively, at the facility, received bribes from inmate defendants Davis, Johnson-Ross, Monarrez, Young, and Zamora in exchange for bringing contraband—including controlled substances such as K2 (a Schedule 1 synthetic cannabinoid), Tetrahydrocannabinol (a Schedule 1 component in cannabis), and Suboxone, cellular phones, security tools, and cigarettes—into the prison.
Stith and Young-Atwell hid the contraband in lunch bags and containers in order to smuggle it through the prison’s screening system and then delivered the contraband items to various locations throughout the prison. These locations included the prison’s medical department, which contained private examination rooms without security cameras; numerous pre-arranged stash locations such as storage closets where inmates could later retrieve the hidden items; and the cells and housing units of inmate defendants, with some of whom Stith and Young-Atwell had engaged in personal/intimate relations and warned of planned cell searches as well as other inmates providing information to the prison administration regarding the contraband activity.
The inmate defendants used the contraband phones to coordinate smuggling and contraband trafficking with Stith, Young-Atwell, and individuals outside of the CCP (including Aguilar, Niebauer, and Valencia, each of whom are charged in a separate count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in relation to the racketeering activity) who facilitated their contraband trafficking activities. The inmates and co-conspirators also sold these phones and other contraband items to other CCP inmates at substantial profit, with an average price of $10,000 for cellular phones and from $75 up to $250 for Suboxone strips. View the full Indictment here.
“It is extremely dangerous when individuals employed within our prison systems choose to abuse their authority at the expense of the safety and well-being of inmates they are charged with overseeing,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “Not only did the correctional officer and medical staff member in this case engage in inappropriate personal relations with inmates and accept bribes for sneaking contraband into the prison, which the defendant inmates then sold to others at a substantial profit, but they also provided confidential information about planned inmate cell searches and other internal security matters. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will ensure that this criminal abuse of trust is prosecuted regardless of whether those committing the acts are inside or outside of the confines of the prison.”
“Today’s RICO Indictment underscores the critical importance of our concerted efforts to protect both public and inmate safety,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “This investigation has revealed the significant threat posed by transnational criminal organizations within our correctional facilities. The successful outcome of this operation is directly attributable to the effective interagency cooperation between Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The inherent challenges of bringing RICO cases to trial highlight the exceptional skill and dedication of our investigators and prosecutors. Together, we remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling criminal enterprises and ensuring the security of our communities.”
“Prisons have unique security challenges that are complex and require all involved to act in accordance with the law and procedures,” said Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer. “Inspections and reviews of compliance are an integral part of ensuring the maintenance of security at any prison to ensure the health and safety of inmates and correction officers alike. When it became apparent that certain individuals within the Cambria County Prison were engaging in corrupt activities, prison leadership, the Prison Board, and law enforcement took appropriate steps to contain the problem and worked alongside our federal partners to ensure that these perpetrators of criminal activity were brought to justice. We appreciate the special relationship that we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we thank them for their hard work on this matter. This is yet another example of the successes our community experiences when local, state, and federal entities all work together toward a common goal.”
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Shaun Sweeney are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, and the Cambria County Prison conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.