WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — An LA Dank DMV crew member was sentenced to 74 months and four years of supervised release for his involvement in a conspiracy that funneled hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to the DMV area.
Christopher Akinduro, 30, of D.C., was sentenced on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.
Seven other co-defendants also pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking and/or firearm-related charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), from May to December 2021, crew members would traffic “large amounts of high-grade marijuana” from California to the DMV area. They would mass market it through their websites and social media where crew members advertised their clothing merchandise and branded marijuana. Customers could buy the marijuana directly online, and while their sites “appeared professional,” LA Dank was not a licensed company that could operate in D.C., stated USAO.
Akinduro and his other crew members would use short-term rental properties for stash houses or meet-ups for selling. They would then move to different places.
Law enforcement executed their first search warrant on June 15, 2021, at the 1900 block of Whistling Duck Dr. in Upper Marlboro, Md., after they observed multiple crew members and customers going back and forth from the area.
Akinduro arrived at the location as law enforcement officials were conducting the search. When the FBI searched his car, they found a loaded pistol and seven pounds of marijuana. Despite this, he continued to participate in the conspiracy and possess firearms.
The LA Dank crew members had multiple stash houses in the D.C. area where Akinduro operated out of. On Dec. 21, 2021, the FBI searched two units that Akinduro worked out of. In the first unit, they recovered many more firearms, 68 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a laptop labeled “LA Dank Exotics.” In the second unit, they again found more guns, 40 pounds of marijuana, a scale, a money counter and about $18,000 in cash.