News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2008

South Carolina Man Sentenced in Drug Ring Case

APR 30 -- RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced SHAHZAD MATHUR, 34, of Greenville, South Carolina, to 240 months’ imprisonment and five years supervised release following his term of confinement.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on August 23, 2007. On December 10, 2007, MATHUR pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

The investigation revealed that MATHUR was the leader of an Atlanta distributor for a large scale cocaine distribution organization, responsible for distributing over 150 kilograms into New Hanover and Pender Counties.

This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case entitled, Seven Day Ground, in which six defendants have already been sentenced.“The drug ring moved great amounts of cocaine through their organization and into Eastern North Carolina. In taking this ring down, these significant amounts of drugs will not reach the street for sale. The praiseworthy efforts of our law enforcement involved with this case have dismantled this organization,” stated Mr. Holding.

Investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Wilmington Police Department. The United States was represented by Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo. Mr. Severo is a prosecutor with the New Hanover District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission and the New Hanover County Commissioners.

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