ANCHORAGE WOMAN SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON
FOR CONSPIRACY IN RELATION TO DRUG TRAFFICKING

Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen announced today, March 6, 2008, that Vanisa Yvonne Crenshaw, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 30 months for her conviction of conspiracy in relation to controlled substances trafficking.

Chief United States District Court Judge John W. Sedwick imposed the sentence on Crenshaw, age 21, of 8836 McClellan Circle, Anchorage, Alaska.

According to information presented to the court by Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin White, the defendant participated in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving crack cocaine by driving her co-defendant, Yancy Johns, to the meeting places for the drug deals; returning telephone calls made to the co-defendant from the government informant; and arranging her own meetings with the informant for the purpose of selling crack cocaine. The total amount of crack distributed during the course of this conspiracy was 8.7 grams. On February 11, 2008, co-defendant Johns received a 60-month sentence in federal court.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Sedwick noted the serious nature of the criminal actions in this case, as well as the fact that this is the defendant’s first criminal conviction.

Mr. Cohen commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Crenshaw. SAUSA White is one of two prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office who are funded by the Municipality of Anchorage for the purpose of prosecuting gang-related and violent crime cases.