Anchorage woman guilty of drug trafficking conspiracy

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A federal jury convicted an Anchorage woman yesterday for her role in a local drug trafficking conspiracy to traffic cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and heroin.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Erica Elisoff, 51, and her boyfriend and co-defendant, Larry Kennedy, 65, were selling drugs out of adjacent apartments that they jointly occupied, as well as from Kennedy's auto repair shop.

Between August and December 2021, law enforcement officials arranged multiple controlled purchases of cocaine base, aka crack cocaine, from both Kennedy and Elisoff. On three separate occasions in August, law enforcement purchased roughly seven grams of cocaine base from Kennedy, respectively. On one occasion in December, law enforcement executed a controlled purchase from Elisoff for 21 grams of cocaine base.

In May 2022, law enforcement officials executed search warrants at the apartments Elisoff and Kennedy shared. In one apartment, law enforcement discovered over $123,100 in cash, five heat sealed plastic bags containing over three kilograms of cocaine, over 745 grams of heroin, multiple scales, drug packaging materials, and other assorted drug paraphernalia. In the other apartment, law enforcement discovered over 20 grams of methamphetamine, over 15 grams of heroin, over $4,000 in cash, two scales, and other assorted drug paraphernalia.

Elisoff was convicted of one count of distribution of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. She faces between five years to life in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2026. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

On March 31, 2025, Kennedy pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. On Sept. 29, 2025, Kennedy was sentenced to five years in prison and upon release, will serve three years on supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases. He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or U.S. Attorney Bradford in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the DEA Anchorage District Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case.

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