Princeton man among those charged in Mexico-U.S. pot trafficking case | Crime

Ten people, including a Princeton man and several other Tri-State residents, have been arrested by federal authorities on charges of conspiring to import a ton of marijuana for distribution in southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and Georgia since 2009.

The Princeton Daily Clarion reports Aaron Hardiman, 30, was arrested Friday by U.S. Marshals in Princeton.  He’s been indicted on conspiracy to distribute controlled substance, according to the case docket of the U.S. District Court in Evansville.

In late August, a grand jury returned sealed indictments against Haridman and several others from Evansville and other states.  The marijuana, court documents say, was shipped by commercial tractor-trailers and other vehicles from the Gulf Cartel in Mexico.

The charging documents indicate the group used telephones and Facebook messages to communicate while concealing the marijuana inside other items shipped north from Nexico.

Hardiman’s role, according to federal agents, was using property in Evansville to store pot and money from sales and making arrangements for potential shipments.

Other defendants were charged with laundering money.

About $775,000 in cash has already been seized during the investigation, according to the court documents.

The charges carry a possible ten-year prison sentence and fines.

Also named in the indictment were Jose Ramos, 28, Rio Grande City, Texas, Dennis Cameron, 54, of Hot Springs, Ark., Adrian Davison, 38, Evansville; Abram Hall, 35, Evansville; Carlis Falls, 34, Evansville; Roderick Jackson, 41, Atlanta, Ga.; Mario Burkes, 35, Columbus, Ga.; Anthony Norman, 34, Evansville, Jamar Jones, 23, Evansville, and Tiffany Nelson, 25, Owensboro, Ky.

The report says Nelson is charged with money laundering, but not in the drug distribution conspiracy. Davison is named in the money laundering allegation.