Memorializing more drug war casualties: updating the federal drug sentences that COVID-19 turned into death sentences

In this post a few weeks ago, I noted how many individuals among the first federal inmates to die from COVID-19 were in federal prison for drug offenses.  The first documented federal prisoner to die due to the coronavirus was Patrick Jones who died on March 28 and was involved with crack cocaine.  The first female federal prisoner to die was Andrea Circle Bear who died April 28 and was involved with meth.  And the 50th documented federal inmate to die from the virus was Vernon Adderley who died May 11 and was involved in a drug conspiracy.

Because many federal prisoners are serving time for drug offenses, it comes as no surprise that a significant percentage of those who are dying from COVID in federal custody are drug offenders.  But, as I highlighted in my prior post, these kinds of drug war casualties feel especially arbitrary and capricious because such a small percentage of drug offenders are subject to federal prosecution and, thankfully, only a small percentage of this group has been struck down by COVID.  Without diminishing the importance of honoring on this day the those who died serving our nation in traditional wars, I figured today still marked a reasonable time to update my running list of persons who have become casualties of our federal drug war:

Stephen Cino (died April 29: "54 year-old male who was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to a 292-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone Buprenorphine and Fifty Grams or More of Methamphetamine")

Willie Peterson (died April 30: "51 year-old male who was sentenced in the Southern District of West Virginia to a 97-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin and a Quantity of Fentanyl").

Kevin Ivy (died May 2: "59 year-old male who was sentenced in the Eastern District of Texas to a 49-month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine")

Jimmie Lee Houston (dies May 6: "75 year-old male who was sentenced in the District of Alaska to a 120-month sentence for Possessing a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute, Possessing a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number, and Criminal Forfeiture Allegation).

George Escamilla (died May 8: "67 year-old male who was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to a 192-month sentence for Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 kilograms or more of Cocaine and Aiding and Abetting.")

Guadalupe Ramos (died May 10: "56 year-old male who was sentenced in the Western District of Texas to a 210-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute 1 Kilogram or More of Heroin")

Juan Mata (died May 11: "59 year-old male sentenced in the Western District of Texas to a 135-month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute 500g or more of Cocaine).

Vernon Adderley (died May 11: "56 year-old male who was sentenced in the Southern District of New York to a 420-month sentence for Narcotics Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Deal in Firearms without a License, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During a Narcotics Crime").

James Lino (died May 13: "65 year-old male who was sentenced in the District of Hawaii to a 34-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess Fifty Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute").

Calderon Mendoza (died May 14: "60 year-old male sentenced in the Southern District of Florida to a 144-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Knowing it Would be Imported into the United States and Distribute Cocaine Using an Airplane Registered in the United States").

Jerry Lynn Dempsey (died May 15: "59 year-old male who was sentenced in the Southern District of California to a 130-month sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine")

Bich Tran (died May 17: "50 year-old male who was sentenced in the Eastern District of Texas to a 360-month sentence for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Possession with Intent to Distribute Ecstasy, Methamphetamine, Cocaine Base, and Marijuana")

Fidel Torres (died May 20: "62 year-old male sentenced in the Southern District of Texas to a 220-month sentence for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity in Excess of 1000 kilograms of Marijuana, and Aid and Abet to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Quantity in Excess of 1000 kilograms of Marijuana")

These additional 13 deaths, combined with the 13 deaths noted in this prior post, add up to a full 26 deaths of federal inmates who were incarcerated on drug offenses (from a current total of 59 federal prisoner deaths officially reported by the BOP).  Encouraging, there has not been any reported inmate deaths in the last couple of days, and I hope everyone is eager to see these kinds of drug war casualties go away.  

A few prior related posts:

Via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8247011 http://www.rssmix.com/

Comments

Post a Comment