Man sentenced after leading drug trafficking conspiracy in Buckingham prison
BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A man who led a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in a Buckingham County correctional center was sentenced to over a decade in prison on Monday. On Monday, Nov. 18, 38-year-old Michael Mao was sentenced to 121 months in prison -- followed by four years of supervised release -- for charges relating to that conspiracy, according to a press release from the acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Massachusetts. Those charges were money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine, which he pleaded guilty to in August. According to the release, Mao was incarcerated at the Buckingham Correctional Center in the Dillwyn area for several violent offenses, including attempted murder. Former Richmond bank examiner accused of profiting over $750,000 by insider trading This conspiracy took place between Dec. 2019 and May 2021. During that time, Mao worked with his two co-conspirators, Sathtra Em and Sarath Yut, to source MDMA and buprenorphine from Massachusetts. The drugs would then be mailed to Virginia and smuggled into the prison, where Mao would sell them to other inmates, according to the release. The conspirators also laundered the proceeds made from the drugs to conceal their crimes. This process involved "several schemes for illegally introducing drugs into Buckingham, including bribing a corrupt prison guard, Kenneth Owen," the release said. According to the release, Mao is the third of the four involved conspirators to be sentenced, but all have pleaded guilty as of the time of reporting. Two residents without a home, two pets killed in Chesterfield house fire Yut pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Oct. 2023. Em pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced in August to 21 months in prison. Also facing those two same charges, Owen entered a guilty plea in September, according to the release. He will be sentenced on Dec. 10.
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BUCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A man who led a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in a Buckingham County correctional center was sentenced to over a decade in prison on Monday.
On Monday, Nov. 18, 38-year-old Michael Mao was sentenced to 121 months in prison -- followed by four years of supervised release -- for charges relating to that conspiracy, according to a press release from the acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Massachusetts.
Those charges were money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute MDMA and buprenorphine, which he pleaded guilty to in August.
According to the release, Mao was incarcerated at the Buckingham Correctional Center in the Dillwyn area for several violent offenses, including attempted murder.
Former Richmond bank examiner accused of profiting over $750,000 by insider trading
This conspiracy took place between Dec. 2019 and May 2021. During that time, Mao worked with his two co-conspirators, Sathtra Em and Sarath Yut, to source MDMA and buprenorphine from Massachusetts.
The drugs would then be mailed to Virginia and smuggled into the prison, where Mao would sell them to other inmates, according to the release. The conspirators also laundered the proceeds made from the drugs to conceal their crimes.
This process involved "several schemes for illegally introducing drugs into Buckingham, including bribing a corrupt prison guard, Kenneth Owen," the release said.
According to the release, Mao is the third of the four involved conspirators to be sentenced, but all have pleaded guilty as of the time of reporting.
Two residents without a home, two pets killed in Chesterfield house fire
Yut pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Oct. 2023. Em pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced in August to 21 months in prison.
Also facing those two same charges, Owen entered a guilty plea in September, according to the release. He will be sentenced on Dec. 10.
