News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thomas E. Murphy
Number: (314)538-4660

Five Sentenced for Drive-By Shooting,
Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms

APR 15 - (JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that five Columbia, MO, men have been sentenced for their involvement in illegal drug trafficking and firearms in association with the Cut Throats gang.

William Ricky Boyd, Robert Darnell Simmons, Dametrell Koda Washington, and Tarron Montez Cason, were sentenced on April 14th before U.S. District Judge Nanette K. Laughrey. Boyd was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Simmons was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. Washington was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison without parole. Cason was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. On Monday, April 12 th, Dajuan Anthony Harris was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole.

Washington and Cason each pleaded guilty to their role in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana from January 2007 to January 2009. During that time period, they admitted to distributing at least a kilogram of powder cocaine and at least half a kilogram of crack cocaine. They also admitted to drug trafficking with members of the Cut Throats gang, which was involved in distributing narcotics, possessing firearms, passing firearms between themselves and using firearms to promote their drug trafficking operation and to protect themselves. Washington also pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony P. Gonzalez and Lawrence E. Miller and Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steven Berry, who has been appointed a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to assist in this prosecution. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia, MO, Police Department, the Boone County, MO, Prosecutor’s Office, the Boone County, MO, Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Department of Corrections and the Drug Enforcement Administration.