Second Madison College Student Sentenced In Marijuana Conspiracy
MADISON, Wis. - John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Parvis Samadzada, 22, Madison, Wis., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William Conley to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute marijuana in the Madison area. Samadzada pleaded guilty to this charge on November 6, 2015.
From September 2012 to February 2015, Samadzada and six other co-defendants, all college students, arranged the purchase, transportation and distribution of as many as 19 loads of marijuana from California and Colorado to Madison. Drivers were sent to the West Coast with tens of thousands of dollars to make contact with a supplier, and would return with up to 50 pounds of marijuana at a time. The marijuana loads were then divided among the “investors” who had provided money for the purchase of the supply. These persons then sold the marijuana in Madison for a substantial profit.
In sentencing Samadzada for involvement in the conspiracy, Judge Conley noted that he was also factoring added time into the sentence for Samadzada’s continued involvement in a new drug offense while on pre-trial release during the pendency of the federal charges.
Haris Riza, 22 of Madison, was sentenced on January 5, 2016, to one year and a day in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy. The other five defendants, Enis Gashi, 21; Amadou Camara, 23; Kevin Ha, 23; Joseph Ramsey, 20; and Yotam Israeli, 22, have entered guilty pleas and are scheduled to be sentenced over the next month.
The charge against Samadzada was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation; and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.
Parents and children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.
