Feds raise reward to $7,500 per man for 3 who fled court before guilty verdict in major drug case
Three men who were no-shows for the guilty verdict in a major federal drug case in Detroit on May 12, after appearing in court earlier the same day, are still missing.
So the U.S. Marshals Service has raised the reward being offered for the capture of Carlos Powell, 39, his brother Eric Powell, 36, and Earnest Proge Jr., 36, to $7,500 per man, the Daily Tribune reports.
The three were released on unsecured bond in a case in which they could now be sentenced to life terms.
During the investigation of what authorities describe as a $21 million heroin, cocaine and marijuana trafficking operation, the feds seized $3 million in cash, $800,000 worth of jewelry and 10 vehicles including two Bentleys and a Ferrari, the Detroit News reports. A total of 13 defendants were indicted.
It now appears likely that they also had money stashed somewhere else, which is being used to fuel their life on the lam, Robert Watson of the U.S. Marshals Service told the Daily Tribune on Tuesday. “I can’t prove it, but from doing this job for years, I’d say it’s a safe bet that they had money somewhere to assist them in staying under the radar.”
Nonetheless, “we are very confident we will find them,” Watson said. We always do.”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Feds still seek 3 men who jumped bond before guilty verdict in drug case, offer $5K reward per man”
