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Portuguese1 Russell Bentley III, aka "Texas" is a convicted drugs smuggler & “long-time Minneapolis drug-dealer” say U.S. Feds
#Standing outside the federal courtroom with his hands behind his back,
Russell Bentley looked somberly over his shoulder and blew a kiss to his wife.
U.S. District Judge Filemon B. Vela sentenced Bentley to five years and three
months in prison Friday, with an additional four years supervised release.
Behind bars since February, Bentley, described by federal authorities as a
long-time Minneapolis-based drug dealer, was the last to be sentenced among
eight defendants linked to a marijuana smuggling operation that stretched
across the country, from Mexico to Seattle, Las Vegas and Leavenworth, Kan.
"It's a substantial smuggling ring," said Assistant U.S. District Attorney
Mervyn Mosbacker. "They weren't transporting real large amounts at any one
time, but it added up to quite a bit."
Bentley faced six counts of marijuana possession with intent to distribute and
one additional count of money laundering. Like each of the other seven
co-defendants, Bentley pleaded guilty to one of the charges and the state
dismissed the rest.
"It's a case Customs and the IRS worked on extensively," Mosbacker said.
"They did a good job putting evidence together and getting everybody to plead
guilty. It was a good, quality case."
According to Alonzo Pe a, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Customs Service
in Brownsville, federal officials began to investigate the multi-state
operation in April 1993. Court documents show that Customs meticulously
gathered evidence against the group using phone records, bank files and an
undercover investigation.
Between 1991 and 1995, officials believe the ring, headed by Laguna Vista
resident and South Padre Island businessman Jack Collins, routed 2,500 pounds
of marijuana from the border across the country -- sometimes in bundles as
large as 560 pounds. Pe a added that the investigation is still ongoing.
According to the court file, Bentley, a member of the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and a former political candidate with
the Grass Roots party, regularly picked up marijuana from Texas, moved it back
to the Midwest and sold it.
Much of his profit went into the coffers of NORML, prosecutors claimed in
court documents. Prosecutors also alleged that at the time of his arrest in
Minneapolis, Bentley was in the process of booby-trapping his house with
home-made bombs and was even in possession of a cannon.
When asked by Vela if he planned to continue smoking marijuana, Bentley
replied, "When I started getting involved I had good intentions, but things
got seriously out of hand." But he was quick to add, "I may continue to
advocate the change of marijuana laws."
Bentley was linked to the following persons who had previously pleaded guilty
to similar charges:
o Jack Aaron Collins, 42, of Laguna Vista, who received 10 years and five
months in prison, a $20,000 fine and five years supervised release.
o Felix Alvarez, 50, of Los Fresnos, who was sentenced to four months in
jail, four months in home confinement and three years supervised release.
o Henry McInnis, 25, of Port Isabel, who was sentenced to 12 months and one
day in prison and three years supervised release.
o Eduardo Flores, 35, of 104 Dawley Ave., Brownsville, who was sentenced to
22 months in prison and four years supervised release.
o Tim Gates, of Shawnee Mission, Kan., who was sentenced to three years and
one month in prison, five years supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
o Betty Pantoja, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was sentenced to three years
probation and six months of electronic monitoring for conspiracy to launder
money.
Letter from prison: druglibrary.net/olsen/NORML/LETTERS/bonner01.html
Divorce record: http://marriage-divorce-records.mooseroots.com/d/c/Russell-Bentley
Russell Bentley looked somberly over his shoulder and blew a kiss to his wife.
U.S. District Judge Filemon B. Vela sentenced Bentley to five years and three
months in prison Friday, with an additional four years supervised release.
Behind bars since February, Bentley, described by federal authorities as a
long-time Minneapolis-based drug dealer, was the last to be sentenced among
eight defendants linked to a marijuana smuggling operation that stretched
across the country, from Mexico to Seattle, Las Vegas and Leavenworth, Kan.
"It's a substantial smuggling ring," said Assistant U.S. District Attorney
Mervyn Mosbacker. "They weren't transporting real large amounts at any one
time, but it added up to quite a bit."
Bentley faced six counts of marijuana possession with intent to distribute and
one additional count of money laundering. Like each of the other seven
co-defendants, Bentley pleaded guilty to one of the charges and the state
dismissed the rest.
"It's a case Customs and the IRS worked on extensively," Mosbacker said.
"They did a good job putting evidence together and getting everybody to plead
guilty. It was a good, quality case."
According to Alonzo Pe a, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Customs Service
in Brownsville, federal officials began to investigate the multi-state
operation in April 1993. Court documents show that Customs meticulously
gathered evidence against the group using phone records, bank files and an
undercover investigation.
Between 1991 and 1995, officials believe the ring, headed by Laguna Vista
resident and South Padre Island businessman Jack Collins, routed 2,500 pounds
of marijuana from the border across the country -- sometimes in bundles as
large as 560 pounds. Pe a added that the investigation is still ongoing.
According to the court file, Bentley, a member of the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and a former political candidate with
the Grass Roots party, regularly picked up marijuana from Texas, moved it back
to the Midwest and sold it.
Much of his profit went into the coffers of NORML, prosecutors claimed in
court documents. Prosecutors also alleged that at the time of his arrest in
Minneapolis, Bentley was in the process of booby-trapping his house with
home-made bombs and was even in possession of a cannon.
When asked by Vela if he planned to continue smoking marijuana, Bentley
replied, "When I started getting involved I had good intentions, but things
got seriously out of hand." But he was quick to add, "I may continue to
advocate the change of marijuana laws."
Bentley was linked to the following persons who had previously pleaded guilty
to similar charges:
o Jack Aaron Collins, 42, of Laguna Vista, who received 10 years and five
months in prison, a $20,000 fine and five years supervised release.
o Felix Alvarez, 50, of Los Fresnos, who was sentenced to four months in
jail, four months in home confinement and three years supervised release.
o Henry McInnis, 25, of Port Isabel, who was sentenced to 12 months and one
day in prison and three years supervised release.
o Eduardo Flores, 35, of 104 Dawley Ave., Brownsville, who was sentenced to
22 months in prison and four years supervised release.
o Tim Gates, of Shawnee Mission, Kan., who was sentenced to three years and
one month in prison, five years supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
o Betty Pantoja, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was sentenced to three years
probation and six months of electronic monitoring for conspiracy to launder
money.
Letter from prison: druglibrary.net/olsen/NORML/LETTERS/bonner01.html
Divorce record: http://marriage-divorce-records.mooseroots.com/d/c/Russell-Bentley
