Roseville man sentenced to prison for smuggling meth into Upper Peninsula

MICHIGAN (WLUC) – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced Wednesday that a 31-year-old Roseville man has been sentenced to federal prison for leading a conspiracy that moved more than 500 grams of methamphetamine from Detroit to Houghton and Mackinac counties. in December 2022 and January 2023.

According to a press release, Charles Lester Knuckles, Jr. sentenced to 132 months.

“Sir. Knuckles operated a drug pipeline that smuggled methamphetamine from the Detroit area to northern Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in UP and across the District to hold traffickers accountable and keep illegal drugs off our streets.”

The Upper Peninsula Substances Enforcement Team (UPSET) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have introduced a confidential informant to Samantha Short, 30, of Hancock. Short was a methamphetamine user and dealer and knew Knuckles from a previous relationship. On December 14, 2022, the confidential informant and Short called Knuckles to arrange the sale of four ounces of methamphetamine. On December 16, 2022, Knuckles sent Lyric Elizabeth Stevenson, 28, of Harper Woods, and David Lee Chatman, Jr., 38, of Inkster, to deliver the methamphetamine to Houghton County.

The press release states that Knuckles negotiated terms for the sale of an additional quantity of methamphetamine with the government’s confidential informant. On December 22, 2022, Stevenson and Chatman transported more than eight ounces of methamphetamine from the Detroit area to Houghton County for Knuckles. A third shipment of methamphetamine was arranged on January 7, 2023. This time, Short traveled from Houghton County to Mackinac County to meet Stevenson and Chatman, who were also accompanied by Bernard Desean Harris, 24, of Detroit. Harris accompanied Short on the return trip to Houghton County and was stopped by Michigan State Police. A search of their vehicle turned up 241.6 grams of methamphetamine.

On December 12, 2023, Knuckles, Short, Stevenson, Chatman and Harris were indicted by a federal grand jury on methamphetamine conspiracy and other methamphetamine tracking charges. Knuckles, Short, Stevenson and Harris each pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy.

On August 13, U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou sentenced Short to 41 months in prison and Harris to 46 months in prison. Co-defendant Lyric Elizabeth Stevenson will be sentenced on January 21, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney. Co-defendant David Lee Chatman Jr. has entered into a preliminary diversion agreement in which his prosecution has been postponed for a period of time. of twelve months, provided he successfully complies with a series of conditions set by the government and the U.S. Probation Office.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Upper Peninsula Substances Enforcement Team and the Michigan State Police investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel S. Fauson is prosecuting the case.

The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.