EVENT: Indictment
Defendant: Stanley Thomas

Brazil et al SEVENTEEN MEMBERS OF SAGINAW GANG INDICTMENT ON DRUG CHARGES

Seventeen individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Bay City, Michigan relating to charges of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine or the distribution of crack cocaine. The indictments are the result of an ATF-led investigation named “Operation Sunset” which targeted alleged members of the Sunnyside gang, United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced today.

Murphy was joined in the announcement by Acting, Special Agent in Charge William Temple, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The six indictments were sealed by court order until today. Named in the six indictments were:

Stanley Thomas Brazil, Jr., 31;
Demetress Lashawn Bryant, 31;
Terrance Lavonn Harris, 28
Jeffrey Dale Harris, Jr., 39;
Damarlon Cenaka Thomas, 26
Torrelee Brazil, 25
Morris Lee Calhoun, Jr., 26
Willie Floyd Jackson, 54
Kevin Stephens, 23
Dlaurence Curtis McCall, 21
Andre Stidhum, 27
Robert Louis Bell, 25
Marcus Courtney Conway, 28
Steven Dawayne Griffin, 29
John Tyler McKinney, Sr., 39
John Tyler McKinney, Jr., 19
Andrea Katie Rankin, 32

All seventeen individuals are residents of Saginaw.

The six separate indictments charge that some of these individuals conspired to distribute crack cocaine in the Saginaw area, primarily in a portion of the City commonly known as the South Side or the Sunnyside. The indictments also charges specific crack cocaine distributions as well as marijuana along with a gun charge.

Murphy stated, “Crack destroys its users, their families, and their neighborhoods. We will spare no effort in pursuing the purveyors of this pernicious drug, disrupting their trade, and eliminating their organizations. I commend the excellent local - federal law enforcement team that conducted this investigation.”

Acting ATF SAC Temple stated, "Today, some of Saginaw’s ‘worst of the worst offenders’, identified as members or associates of the “Sunnyside gang,” are behind bars as a result of the tireless efforts of our agents and task force officers working together. We know that guns and drugs go hand-in-hand and can escalate violent crime rates. Through aggressive enforcement of the federal gun and narcotics laws we can identify and combat violent drug gangs from ruling our streets.”

The United States Marshal Service and the Michigan State Police fugitive team participated in attempting to locate the seventeen defendants. At the time of this release, eight defendants have been arrested and will be making appearances in federal court in Bay City.

Earlier this morning, agents executed four federal search warrants in Saginaw and agents recovered four handguns, approximately 8 ounces of crack cocaine, approximately ½ kilogram of cocaine, approximately 5 pounds of marijuana, roughly $35,000 in currency, ammunition and drug paraphernalia.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by special agents of the ATF and the FBI with the assistance of the Michigan State Police, Saginaw Police Department, and the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hluchaniuk .

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