Drug Conviction and Imprisonment
| Motive | criminal enterprise |
|---|---|
| Conviction(s) | engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and conspiring to distribute more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana |
| Penalty | life without parole |
| Conviction status | In custody at MCFP Springfield |
| Occupation | race car driver |
| Spouse | None |
| Children | 2, Brandie and Glen |
His growing up in Florida during his youth has been suggested as a potential precursor to his involvement in the drug trade in 1978
During his racing career, the FBI, however, were investigating Lanier. Lanier along with Eugene Fischer and Ben Kramer, owner of Apache boats; and twelve others ran a multi million dollar drugs empire between 1982 and 1986 when the arrest took place. Kramer was the great-nephew and one of the putative heirs of the top boss of the U.S. crime syndicate, Meyer Lansky.
Many of these narcotics was distributed in Illinois, therefore he was indicted in the Southern District of Illinois in January 1987. He was convicted of importing and distributing over 300 tons of Colombian marijuana, believed to be worth $68 million by prosecuters and was due to be sentenced when he disappeared. He was believed to had fled to Puerto Rico but was later arrested in Antigua on October 26. Lanier had also cut a deal after his arrest for conspiracy to distribute pot, but at the last minute refused to testify against Jack Kramer, father of Ben.
Randy Lanier and his partner Ben Kramer received life without parole sentences on 4 October 1988 under the newly-enacted Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute (also known as the "Super Drug Kingpin" law), owing to their refusal to cooperate with the prosecution. The Whittington brothers who were also involved received a lighter sentence. Lanier filed an appeal based on the fact that later RICO convictions were not nearly as lengthy, but lost the appeal. He was initial placed in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary and was later transferred to the higher security United States Penitentiary I in Coleman. His subsequent appeals have all been denied. He now uses his available spare time exercising, playing chess and answering any letters sent by race fans as well as managing a prison football team (who dropped Michael Vick for his involvement in a dog fighting ring).
Maggi married Lanier on August 31, 1990 at Oxford Federal Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
Lanier's wife was sentenced on April 30, 1993 to nine years in prison for money laundering. She pleaded guilty in September the year previously to conspiracy and obstruction. She later successfully appealed to have it reduced from 108 months to 97.
She was released in 1999: by that time she was no longer married to Lanier.
Read more about this topic: Randy Lanier
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