Sioux Falls, South Dakota — Three Worthington, Minnesota residents have been sentenced in a case where they were found to be selling drugs and laundering the money near our area.
The South Dakota United States Attorney’s office reports that the three charged with conspiracies to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana and to launder money were sentenced on this month. They report that 32-year-old Somwang Wong Khanya, 30-year-old Inpaeng Phady, and 23-year-old Keophothone Rounoubon were indicted in 2014.
Khanya was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, and Phady and Rounoubon were charged with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. They all entered guilty pleas in February
Khanya pled guilty and was sentenced to 70 months in custody.
Phady pled guilty to the marijuana distribution conspiracy and was sentenced to 30 months in custody.
Rounoubon pled guilty to the marijuana distribution conspiracy, and was sentenced to 23 months in custody.
The US Attorney’s office says the three had a source of marijuana in California, and traveled there from Worthington on many occasions to purchase and bring back marijuana for distribution in the Sioux Falls area and elsewhere. They also say the three used other individuals to make the trips and to distribute marijuana. Law enforcement believes at least 500 pounds of marijuana was sold.
They also say that Khanya used various methods to launder the proceeds of the marijuana sales, including purchasing many expensive items, such as 63 designer handbags, purses, and wallets in brands such as Coach, Chanel, Gucci, Burberry and others, having an approximate retail value of $62,000; purchasing gold jewelry with an approximate retail value of $54,000; running cash through casinos; structuring cash deposits into bank accounts to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports; and purchasing a 2009 Lexus and financing, titling, registering, and insuring it in other persons’ names.
