United States Drug Enforcement Administration

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...

WASHINGTON: A strategically coordinated, six-week nationwide federal law enforcement action has resulted in criminal charges against 138 defendants, including 42 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, in 31 federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various healthcare fraud schemes for more than $1.4 billion in...

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...

CHARLESTON, S.C. – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Dr. Ronald A. Hargrave, 60, of Mt. Pleasant, has been convicted of illegal distribution of controlled substances after a four-day jury trial in federal court in Charleston. Senior United States District Judge Margaret B. Seymour of Charleston presided...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lili Bian, a 59-year old citizen of China and a lawful permanent resident of the United States living in Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to failing to report a foreign bank account with a balance exceeding $10,000, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western...

ATLANTA – Dr. Arnita Avery-Kelly, a licensed podiatrist, has been found guilty on federal charges of illegally prescribing opioid painkillers and other drugs at clinic locations purporting to provide podiatric care in Sandy Springs and Lithonia, Ga. “While in the midst of this country’s prescription opioid crisis, removing and ultimately...

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Five men and a woman have been indicted in federal court, charged with operating a wide-ranging drug conspiracy that included mass production of pills and possession with intent to distribute a powerful synthetic opioid. As outlined in the six-count indictment in U.S. District Court and from testimony...