United States Attorney's Office 1620
Dodge Street October 26, 2007 |
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Dale Giles, age 32, Charmar Brown, age 25, and Evereada Kouris, age 31, all from Omaha, were convicted Thursday, following over a four-week jury trial in U.S. District court, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana between October 1, 2004 and June 20, 2006. Giles and Brown were also convicted of two counts of possessing, carrying and discharging firearms during and in relation to the marijuana conspiracy, and one count of possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of the marijuana conspiracy. Giles was convicted of three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and both Giles and Brown were also convicted of possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana on April 3 and 4, 2006. The maximum possible penalties faced by Brown and Kouris for their conviction on the marijuana conspiracy count, include imprisonment of not less than ten years nor more than life, a $4 million fine, 5 years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Giles faces a minimum of 20 years to life imprisonment, a $8 million fine, supervised release of 10 years, and a $100 special assessment on that count. Giles and Brown face sentences of 10 years to life, 25 years to life and 25 years to life, consecutive to each other, and to any sentence imposed on the conspiracy count, for their convictions of possessing and discharging firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. Giles and Brown also face imprisonment of at least five but not less than 40 years, a $2 million fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for possessing 100 kilograms or more of marijuana with intent to distribute it, and Giles faces up to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kouris was charged only in the marijuana conspiracy. The investigation, involving members of the Omaha Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, and the Phoenix, Arizona Police Department, was triggered on May 4, 2005 when three partially burned bodies were discovered in the area of 60 th and State Streets. Examination of the bodies revealed each had died from gunshot wounds to their heads. These individuals were later identified as Benigno Dominguez, Frank Wilkinson, and Faustino Garcia. Interviews of other co-conspirators in Arizona and Texas provided details of an organization headed by Giles and Brown that distributed thousands of pounds of marijuana shipped from Arizona to Nebraska and other states. In-depth investigation of airline, telephone, motel and other documents uncovered numerous trips taken by Giles and Brown to coordinate the transportation of marijuana loads, and payment of large sums of currency. Analysis of Giles’ and Brown’s financial dealings revealed bank deposits over $570,000, approximately $25,600 in airline expenditures, over $45,000 in automobile expenses, over $7,000 in auto rentals, over $20,000 in hotel expenses, over $7,000 in jewelry purchases, and $82,000 in loan payments between April 2003 and February 2006. On April 3, 4 and 14, 2006, thirteen search warrants were executed at homes, businesses and storage units rented, owned and occupied by Giles, Brown and Kouris. Officers seized over 1000 pounds of marijuana over $629,000, 20 vehicles, including:
Officers also located two bulletproof vests, two AR 15 semi automatic rifles, a Taurus .38 caliber revolver, a Magnavox and a JVC wide screen televisions, several jewelry items and numerous items of electronic recording equipment. Weeks before the homicides, airline ticket agents at Omaha’s Eppley Airport had informed the Commercial Interdiction Unit Giles and Brown had purchased a number of tickets for frequent travel to Phoenix, Arizona. Giles and Brown were contacted at Eppley on March 20, 2005, and after they received consent to search, law enforcement officers located and seized $47,440 in currency from Giles and Brown. On April 11, 2005, Brown was stopped for speeding while traveling east on Interstate 80, and $2,588 in currency was taken from him. On May 22, 2005, Omaha Police officers stopped at a traffic light behind a black Dodge Magnum. When the signal turned green the Magnum did not move. Officers made contact with the driver, Giles, who appeared to be passed out behind the wheel. A search of the Giles and the vehicle turned up $12,674 in cash. On February 6, 2005, Charmar Brown walked into Creighton Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the lower right leg. He had come to the hospital in a black 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup. He was in possession of $2,562 in currency. Dale Giles also arrived at the hospital. A search of his car revealed a loaded gun as well as over $2,000 in currency. Testimony was also presented that on October 3, 2005, Monte Williams was shot in the leg by Giles and Williams and another testifying witness stole 22 pounds of marijuana from a house Giles and Brown used to store marijuana. One week later Giles and Brown got into a shoot out with Clarence Dennis near the area of 28 th and Browne Streets over the theft of that marijuana. Through the arrest and cooperation of several co-conspirators, law enforcement learned that the murders of Dominguez, Wilkinson and Garcia occurred at a house located at 4511 N. 65 St., controlled by Giles. On September 3 and 4, 2006, OPD officers processed this house for blood evidence. Four items including portions of two door jambs and blood swabs were removed from the house. These items were tested at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and DNA profiles were generated from these pieces of evidence. Blood samples taken from the three victims at their autopsies were then compared to the items removed from the house. Faustino Garcia was determined to be the source of the blood located on the four items. Giles and Brown set up several businesses in the names of K-Nown LLC, a lawn service, 40 Deuce Music Corp., Bee Geez Barber Shop, and Gee Bee’z. These businesses were financed through the sale of marijuana. The jury received the case at approximately 10:15 Thursday morning and returned with the guilty verdicts about 3:30 p.m. Judge Laurie Smith Camp then determined that the currency, jewelry, other personal property and all the vehicles except the 2003 Buick Rendezvous purchased by the grandmother of Kouris seized by law enforcement during this investigation would be forfeited to the United States. In addition to the cash, vehicles, electronics, and jewelry, Giles and Brown forfeited Edward Jones accounts and U.S. Bank accounts, real estate commissions and cashier’s checks valued over $37,350, and their interest in property located at 3811 N. 88 th Ave., 2118 Ames Ave., and 4824 S. 60 th St. All three are in custody, and await sentencing scheduled for January 28, 2008. ### For further information contact Joe Stecher, U. S. Attorney, or William Mickle, First Assistant U.S. Attorney at (402) 661-3700.
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