CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Benjamin James Hemphill, 24, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina...

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, along with federal and local law enforcement, announced ongoing and coordinated efforts to address violent crime and drug trafficking in Fayetteville and surrounding areas. This effort was conducted as part of two strategic initiatives underway in the region: the Violent Crime Action...

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who distributed Eutylone, commonly marketed by drug dealers as “Molly” or “Ecstasy” was sentenced last week to 72 months in federal prison. Lamont Antoine Parson, 40, pled guilty in November 2021 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent...

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man, who was the 25th defendant associated with Operation High Tide, was sentenced today for his role in trafficking firearms and selling heroin. According to court documents, in 2017, Shon E. Melton, 32, of Portsmouth, was attributed with trafficking 19 firearms, including a concealable short...

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Twenty-one people face federal charges as a result of a lengthy investigation into the sale of narcotics on or near college campuses in North Carolina. The drug trafficking investigation, conducted by a United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, revealed...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has returned an indictment against Anthony Blane Byrnes, 19, of Huntersville, N.C., charging him with drug conspiracy and related drug charges for trafficking narcotics he purchased on the dark web, with coordination through Bitcoin ATMs, announced Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney...

STATESBORO, Ga. – A major investigation targeting an expansive, gang-related drug trafficking ring operating in Georgia has resulted in a 61-count indictment naming 26 defendants on federal charges. Indictments in Operation Ace in the Hole were returned under seal in U.S. District Court in Statesboro, said U.S. Attorney for the...

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News couple has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for their respective roles in manufacturing and trafficking narcotics in Hampton Roads. According to court documents, Dynetta R. Littlejohn, 30, pleaded guilty earlier this year to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base...

NORFOLK, Va. – Over 100 law enforcement agents, officers and other personnel executed Operation High Tide this week, resulting in a series of arrests of individuals allegedly involved in selling drugs and guns in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Operation High Tide is a large-scale narcotics trafficking and firearms investigation that...