Posted on 08/25/2004 11:51:29 PM PDT by Jane_N
A Macedonian immigrant pleaded guilty Wednesday to running "Ice" methamphetamine and illegal weapons out of his family owned restaurant in Longview for more than a year.
Ziber "Billy" Kaba, 36, operated the Little Italy restaurant in Longview, 212 E. Marshall Ave., and admitted he set up deals and sold more than 156 grams of "Ice" meth and possessed a handgun in the commission of drug trafficking.
The defendant pleaded guilty to charges one and seven of the 13-count indictment in U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie's court. He faces five to 40 years in prison, a $2 million fine and at least four years of supervised release for the drug charge and an additional five years for the gun charge.
From October 2002 until his May 5 indictment, Kaba utilized the restaurant as a meeting place for illegal drug and weapon transactions. He obtained several sources to buy meth from in Tyler, Longview, Dallas, El Paso and the Mexican border areas.
Kaba arranged for the sale of "Ice" meth, handguns, shotguns and assault rifles that were bought with cash to conceal the crimes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Middleton said.
Kaba sold meth and a Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver to a confidential informant for the FBI, which was investigating the case along with the East Texas Violent Crimes Task Force.
Kaba sold various amounts of "Ice" meth from Nov. 6 through Feb. 19. When he was arrested on March 3, he possessed 262.33 grams of meth, which was not considered pure enough to be "Ice," according to his indictment.
Middleton said all of the drugs were analyzed by the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab and all of the drugs Kaba sold to the confidential informant were 86-99 percent pure meth - "Ice."
The meth he was caught with in March was only 72 percent pure meth.
Dallas attorney Michael Todd said Kaba had no criminal history to increase the sentencing guideline range and he estimated Kaba to receive a sentence of nine to 11 years in prison.
Judge Guthrie ordered that Kaba remain detained until he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. A date has not yet been set.
"I hope you take the time in prison to figure out what you want to do with your life," Judge Guthrie told him. "It seems you had made something of a success of your life before you got into this drug business."
Kaba said he lived in Macedonia before moving to the United States about 15 years ago. His family owns the chain of Little Italy restaurants in East Texas.
I have some friends from Longview.
Yikes. Its usually a nice town. It's sits out amongst the thick forest of East Texas.
Makes one realize that these types are everywhere.
Glad they busted him.
"Makes one realize that these types are everywhere."
Yepp they sure are. Hope he spends a long, long time in jail.
"sure doesn't sound Italian to me"
Nope, not to me either. I'ld say that most here can pretty much guess where he's most likely from really (or rather his nationality).
It's a good resturant... never tried the meth though.
>>>Nope, not to me either. I'ld say that most here can pretty much guess where he's most likely from really (or rather his nationality).
And why the hell should that matter Jane?
It's for sure not a slavic name...
I take a guess.....ALBANIAN...!!!!
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