Lansing Man Sentenced To 25 Years In Federal Prison For Role In Drug Dealing In Mount Vernon Area Of Northwest Lansing

Lansing and ATF Investigation Results in 80% Decrease in Calls for Service in Area

           GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Merza Mizori, 24, of Lansing, Michigan was sentenced to 300 months (25 years) in federal prison for distributing over 28 grams of crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Daryl R. McCrary, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Michael Yankowski, Lansing Police Department (LPD), announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. Chief District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed five years of supervised release that commences once Mizori is released from imprisonment.

           In 2010, LPD and ATF initiated a joint investigation into criminal activity in the Mount Vernon Public Housing area as a result of a large volume of calls for service in the area for drug trafficking and firearm violence. The joint investigation identified Mizori, who lived in a Mount Vernon unit, as one of the individuals responsible for dealing crack cocaine in the area. In January 2013, a federal grand jury indicted Mizori, his brother Serwan Mizori, 23; Christapher Jones, 22; Gregory Dalton, 24; and DeShun Dalton, 22, with multiple drug charges.

           Mizori pled guilty to the distribution charge and the others pled guilty to various charges. Chief Judge Maloney sentenced the others to federal prison as follows: Serwan Mizori to 240 months (20 years) in prison and five years’ supervised release for his conviction of distribution of crack cocaine; Jones to 120 months (10 years) in prison and five years’ supervised release for his conviction of distribution of over 28 grams of crack cocaine; Gregory Dalton to 106 months in prison and four years’ supervised release for his conviction of distribution of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and DeShun Dalton to 51 months in prison and three years’ supervised release for his conviction of distribution of crack cocaine.

           U.S. Attorney Miles noted the “investigation and prosecution were a perfect example of how federal and local authorities can work together to address specific problems in our communities, especially firearm violence and drug trafficking.” Acting SAC McCrary noted that “ATF values the strong working relationship with the Lansing Police Department that makes this type of community impact possible.” Lansing Police Department Chief Yankowski stated, “The community is in fact safer as proven by departmental crime analysis that reveals an 80% decrease in calls for service to the Mount Vernon area after this group was arrested from the area in January 2013.”.

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