Nine convicted in Lower Michigan meth distribution ring

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (PRESS RELEASE) —United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced today
that on June 10, 2021, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against three defendants following a
four-day trial in Grand Rapids: Timothy Mark Calicutt, a resident of Kalamazoo, Dwayne Deshaun
Parks, a resident of Kalamazoo, and Ronald Lee Sutherland, a resident of Allegan. Calicutt, Parks
and Sutherland are among nine total defendants convicted for their respective roles in a crystal
methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that involved hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine
distributed throughout Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent, and Muskegon counties from
late 2019 through June 2020.
Parks was a regional supplier of hundreds of pounds of crystal methamphetamine to
Calicutt, who used his drug house in Kalamazoo to cut the methamphetamine and further distribute
it to other individuals. Parks also distributed pounds of methamphetamine to Sutherland, who re-distributed it to buyers in Allegan. Over the course of the investigation, each defendant was also
caught possessing significant quantities of methamphetamine for distribution. The jury also
convicted Calicutt for maintaining a drug house and for being a previously-convicted felon in
possession of a firearm.
In announcing the convictions, U.S. Attorney Birge stated, “These convictions are the
result of a multi-agency investigation into the distribution of large amounts of crystal
methamphetamine throughout West Michigan. Crystal methamphetamine is a dangerous and
highly-addictive drug that has done great damage to our local communities. The U.S. Attorney’s
Office is committed to bringing traffickers of this drug to justice, which is made possible through
the hard work of state and local police officers, and federal agents who were involved in this case.”
“These convictions are the culmination of a long-term investigation, and highlights the
impact of multiple agencies joining together to target a drug trafficking organization responsible
for trafficking a significant amount of methamphetamine into Michigan,” said Keith W. Martin,
Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Field Division. “DEA
will continue to join forces with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target and
remove criminals who push poisons and prey on our communities.”
DEA began the investigation into this drug-trafficking conspiracy in 2019, in partnership
with the Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) and West Michigan Enforcement Team
(WEMET) of the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET).
“Drug trafficking organizations pose a serious threat to Southwest Michigan
communities,” said Detective First Lieutenant Richard Pazder of the Michigan State Police,
Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET). “These criminal groups traffic large quantities of lowcost, high-potency levels of crystal methamphetamine to our citizens and seek to spread their
criminal enterprise throughout Michigan. SWET is proud to work synergistically with our law
enforcement partners in DEA, WEMET, and KVET to dismantle a large-scale drug trafficking
organization responsible for pouring hundreds of pounds of crystal methamphetamine into our
West Michigan communities through a web of suppliers, distributors, and local drug pushers.
Further, SWET would like to express appreciation for the federal prosecutors whose expertise and
dedication to justice brought this complex investigation to a successful conclusion.”
Executive Lieutenant Matthew Schemenauer of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team
(KVET) stated: “We are pleased to learn about these convictions. Thanks to a joint effort between
local, state, and federal partners, the organizers of this operation that supplied our region with
methamphetamine are off the streets. This is a win for all of West Michigan.”
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 18 pounds of crystal
methamphetamine (including 2 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Sutherland on June 22,
2020 and 11 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from Calicutt and Parks on June 25, 2020), two
firearms, and over $27,000 in drug proceeds.

The nine defendants, their crimes of convictions, and sentence information are as follows:
Defendant City Conviction(s) Sentence
Timothy Mark Calicutt Kalamazoo
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine;
• Possession with Intent to Distribute 50
grams or more of methamphetamine;
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and
Ammunition;
• Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.
Pending
Sentencing
Dwayne Deshaun Parks Kalamazoo
and Chicago
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine;
• Possession with Intent to Distribute 50
grams or more of methamphetamine (2
counts).
Pending
Sentencing
Ronald Lee Sutherland Allegan
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine;
• Possession with Intent to Distribute 50
grams or more of methamphetamine.
Pending
Sentencing
Michael Chad Sutherland Allegan
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine;
• Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance
of a Drug-Trafficking Crime
Pending
Sentencing
Jackie Lee Cherry, Jr. Muskegon
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine
120 months in
prison
John Allen Galbreath Muskegon
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine
120 months in
prison
Larry James Martz Delton
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine
120 months in
prison
Charles William-Maurice
Hudson Battle Creek
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine
63 months in
prison
Sara Ann Whittemore Delton
• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess
with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or
more of methamphetamine
24 months in
prison
This prosecution, dubbed Operation Rabbit Hole, was part of an Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles
the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal
organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at
https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel T. McGraw and Nils
R. Kessler.