Source: United States Department of Justice News
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced the transfer of Nigerian national Paul Francis Odhiambo Oyugi (a/k/a “Obi”), age 59, from Haiti based on an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. On October 6, 2022, Oyugi had his initial appearance and arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Dries in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On October 7, 2022, Oyugi was ordered detained pending trial.
On July 19, 2022, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned an indictment against Oyugi alleging one count of international drug trafficking and one count of attempted international drug trafficking. According to the indictment, from approximately January 2019 through July 10, 2022, Oyugi conspired with others to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and five kilograms or more of cocaine intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe the heroin and cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States. The indictment also alleges that on July 10, 2022, Oyugi attempted to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The DEA Milwaukee Field Office and the DEA Port-au-Prince Country Office investigated this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Haitian National Government, including the Haitian Ministry of Justice, provided substantial assistance in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Brady, Jr. and Gail J. Hoffman of the Eastern District of Wisconsin are prosecuting the case.
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