Two Tucson Based Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Sentences
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Jamaar Charles Samuels, 39, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 72 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Last summer, Judge Rash sentenced Samuels’ co-defendant, Patrick Michael La Fever, 60, also of Tucson, to 97 months in prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Both men previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and, in La Fever’s case, the conspiracy included the distribution of heroin.
On April 24, 2020, La Fever was arrested as he attempted to smuggle approximately 1.56 kilograms of heroin into the United States from Mexico through the vehicle lane at the port of entry in Nogales, Arizona. La Fever was released from custody pending further investigation of the incident. Over the following months, La Fever continued to distribute narcotics. In October and November 2020, he engaged in a series of transactions involving the sale of approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, in total.
La Fever was again arrested on November 12, 2020, during an enforcement operation jointly conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) , Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS). At the time of this second arrest, La Fever was in possession of drugs, two firearms, 457 rounds of ammunition, a sword, brass knuckles, and approximately one pound of high explosives.
During the investigation into La Fever’s conduct, law enforcement officers identified Samuels as one of La Fever’s drug associates. Samuels was subsequently arrested and, at the time he was taken into custody, he was found in possession of drugs, over $3,000 in cash, and a stolen firearm.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, HSI, DEA, AZDPS, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00920-SHR(LCK) & CR-21-03031-SHR(LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-098_Samuels
