Michael Sturdivant

Michael Haywood

Kecha McNair

Fayetteville PD items seized

Eric Whitaker

Officers with the Fayetteville Police Department’s Cross Creek District Community Empowerment Response Team (CERT) have charged and arrested four suspects for felony narcotic violations as the result of a search warrant executed along the 4500 block of Sterling Street on May 14, 2018.

Officers conducted a search warrant at a residence along the 4500 block of Sterling Street as a result of an ongoing investigation in to the manufacturing, sell, and delivery of illegal narcotics. The following was located and seized during the execution of the search warrant:

Over a quarter kilo of cocaine

Approximately one (1) ounce of Fentanyl

Heroin

Marijuana

A revolver handgun

An AR-15

The Fayetteville Police Department’s Central CERT Officers have charged four suspects in this case.

Eric Whitaker, 44, of the 4500 block of Sterling Street, has been arrested and charged with Trafficking Opium/Heroin, Trafficking Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Marijuana, Maintaining a Vehicle for the Use of Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (2 counts), and Felony Conspiracy. Whitaker is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $150,000 secured bond.

Kecha McNair (B/F, 44 years of age), of the 4500 block of Sterling Street, has been arrested and charged with Trafficking Opium/Heroin, Trafficking Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Marijuana, Maintaining a Vehicle for the Use of Controlled Substances, and Felony Conspiracy. McNair is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $60,000 secured bond.

Michael Sturdivant (B/M, 35 years of age), of the 800 block of Marchbanks Place in Hope Mills, has been arrested and charged with Possession of Heroin. Sturdivant was taken to the Cumberland County Detention Center and has since been released on bond.

Michael Haywood (B/M, 52 years of age), no address available, has been arrested and charged with Possession of Heroin and Possession of Cocaine. Haywood is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $6,000 secured bond.

The Fayetteville Police Department CERT Officers were assisted by the department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), the Gang Unit, and the Narcotic Vice Suppression Unit (NVSU). The Fayetteville Police Department thanks Cumberland County EMS Personnel for providing support during the execution of the search warrant due to the potential potency of the narcotics inside of the residence.

Anyone with information regarding illegal narcotic activity is encouraged to contact Fayetteville / Cumberland County Crimestoppers at (910) 483-TIPS (8477).  Crimestoppers information can also be submitted electronically by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss and completing the anonymous online tip sheet, or by downloading the FREE “P3 Tips” app available for Apple devices in the Apple App Store and available for Android devices in Google Play.

Agents with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Vice-Narcotics Unit have arrested two South Carolina men on multiple drug charges following a traffic stop yesterday evening.

Dashon Cortez Grate, 27, of Golf Colony Lane, Little River, SC, is charged with two counts of PWIMSD heroin, sell/deliver heroin maintaining a vehicle used for selling heroin and other opiates, two counts of trafficking opum/heroin, conspiring to traffic opium/heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Grate was booked into the Brunswick County Detention Facility under a $1 million bond.

Marqivies Sedale Crawford, 28, of Irees Way, Longs, SC, is charged with two counts of trafficking opium/heroin, and conspiring to traffic opium/heroin. Crawford was also processed into the Brunswick County Detention Facility where he remains under a $1 million bond.

Narcotics Agents responded to a near fatal overdose on Tuesday evening which prompted the investigation and led agents to Grate and Crawford.

The man involved in a 6-hour standoff with law enforcement in Dublin in November had his case continued in Bladen County Superior Court. 

McKenzie Brisson is scheduled to appear in Bladen County Superior Court on July 9th. 

Attorney Harold “Butch” Pope told the court in March his client was in a treatment center in Asheville.

Brisson was involved in an armed standoff with law enforcement which lasted 6 hours in November. During the standoff, Brisson fired rounds of ammunition in and around a home on Paul Brisson Road in Dublin. The shots eventually ceased and law enforcement sent a robot into the house to locate Brisson. The robot was initially unable to locate Brisson inside the house, but he was eventually located inside a pick up truck in the garage of the home and taken into custody without incident. No was injured during the standoff.

Bladen County Commissioner Ashley S. Trivette is scheduled to appear on Tuesday, June 5th, in Brunswick County Superior Court.

According to court records, she is facing charges of DWI and misdemeanor child abuse. Trivette was indicted on the misdemeanor child abuse charge in February and the indictment was served on March 2, according to court records. She is represented by Attorney James McGee. 

Whiteville, NC – During the early morning hours of May 18, 2018, Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Gore Trailer Road in Whiteville. The call was in reference to a domestic dispute between the adults residing at the residence, the defendant, his girlfriend, and her mother.  Two young children also reside at the residence and were present at the time of the incident.

While deputies were on scene, they discovered precursors used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.  The Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Vice-Narcotics Unit was contacted to assist with the investigation.  The Vice-Narcotics Detectives obtained a search warrant for the property.  While executing the search warrant, Vice-Narcotics Detectives discovered a clandestine drug lab in an outbuilding located on the property.  They located drug paraphernalia, more than 28 grams of methamphetamine, and precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine, including ammonium nitrate, lithium metal, and Sudafed.  The State Bureau of Investigation’s Clandestine Lab Response Team was contacted to assist Columbus County Sheriff’s Office with the removal of the dangerous compounds.  

At the conclusion of the investigation, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Detectives arrested one individual for the above offenses.  The suspect was processed at the Columbus County Law Enforcement Center with a $426,000.00 secured bond.  

Defendant 1:

Arrested:
Johnathan Dwayne Huggins
629 Gore Trailer Road, Whiteville, NC 28472
W-M
D.O.B.:  03-27-1991

Charges:    
1 misdemeanor count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
2 felony counts of Trafficking Methamphetamine
1 felony count of Manufacturing a Schedule II Controlled Substance
3 felony counts of Possession of a Precursor with the Intent to Manufacture Methamphetamine
1 felony count of Maintaining a Vehicle for Use, Storage, or Sale of a Controlled Substance

By Erin Smith

A case against a Clarkton man was dismissed on Monday morning in Bladen County Superior Court. District Attorney Quentin McGee told Judge James G. Bell, Jr. the case against Marcus Cyril McKoy was dismissed.

Marcus Cyril McKoy, of Pear Tree Road, Clarkton, was arrested in October 2016 and charged with one count of Robbery With A Dangerous Weapon and two counts of Second Degree Kidnapping that occurred on October 7th, 2016, in the Clarkton area.

McGee said the charges stemmed from a 2016 home invasion/robbery in the Clarkton area. One of the victims has passed away since the incident ocurred and the second victim has changed their account of what took place, said McGee.

By Erin Smith

Photos courtesy Bladen County Jail

Two South Carolina men made their first appearance today in Bladen County Superior Court on charges related to the February robbery of the Dollar Tree in Elizabethtown.

Robert Lee Fogle, age 60, and Darryl Antonio Burden, age 35, both of South Carolina, appeared before Judge James Bell Jr. on Monday morning for their first appearance. Both men are charged with safecracking, felony breaking and entering and felony larceny after breaking and entering. Both men are scheduled to be back in Bladen County Superior Court on June 4th.

Judge Bell appointed Attorney Andrew Wall to represent Fogle. Fogle remained in the Bladen County Jail under a $100,000 bond.

Burden waived his right to a court appointed attorney and informed Judge Bell he will hire his own legal counsel. Burden was out on bond on Monday.

Elizabethtown Police are still seeking a third person involved in the break-in. Officers are still searching for Thyron Triamine Burden. He is also facing the same charges as his brother, Darryl Burden, and Fogle.

Elizabethtown Police Investigator D. Cheshire said the two men were arrested and brought to the Bladen County Jail Friday evening.

“They were stopped in Sumter, South Carolina and evidence found in the vehicle tied them to the Dollar Tree robbery,” said Cheshire.

Employees of the Dollar Tree in Elizabethtown were arriving for work on Tuesday, February 27th, when they discovered the store had been broken in to and robbed overnight. An undisclosed amount of cash was removed from the store’s safe.

Cheshire said the Dollar Tree store in Pembroke also reported a similar beak-in ocurred at their location. He added there are other robberies in South Carolina where the men are also suspects.

Elkin- The suspect sought in the murder investigation of Trooper S. N. Bullard is in custody after an extensive search by state and local authorities.  On Wednesday, May 23 at approximately 3:30 a.m., investigators arrested Dakota Kape Whitt, 22, of Elkin without incident.

At approximately 10:53 p.m., troopers attempted to stop a black BMW passenger vehicle that traveled through a checkpoint.  During the pursuit of the BMW, Trooper S. N. Bullard was involved in a collision, causing Bullard to succumb to his injuries at the scene.

After an extensive search, authorities located the BMW along with the registered owner, identified as Cheyenne Harrison.  The driver of the BMW was identified as Dakota Kape Whitt, 22, of Elkin.  Investigators obtained warrants for Mr. Whitt, charging him with murder, felony fleeing to elude arrest in a motor vehicle and driving with a revoked license.

Whitt was transported to the Wilkes County Detention Center in Wilkesboro.  

Willie Clarence West

William Tavon Carter

Timothy Patron Brock

Pedro Sanchez

Kristofer Matthew Kolar

James Tyron Johnson

Eddie Paul Wright

Christopher Jackson Mason

Anthony Baker Jr.

Sheriff James A. McVicker said Narcotics Investigators completed a three month undercover operation in and around Tar Heel with the arrest of several drug dealers.

“Pursuant to a three-month investigation and numerous controlled purchases of illegal narcotics in the Tar Heel area of Bladen County, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, Robeson County
Sheriff’s Office, Lumberton Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security, and North Carolina Probation and Parole conducted a multi-agency round-up on Tuesday, May 22, 2018”, said McVicker.

Nine individuals were arrested for selling controlled substances. Those arrested are as follows:

Anthony Baker, 39, of Pembroke was charged with sell/deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana. Baker was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $15,00.00 bond.

Timothy Brock, 20, of Lumberton was charged with sell/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, and manufacturing cocaine. Brock was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $50,00.00 bond.

Pedro Sanchez AKA Gregorio Hernandez Severiano, 47, of Lumberton was charged with sell/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, and manufacturing cocaine. Sanchez was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $50,00.00 bond.

Willie West, 35, of Fayetteville was charged with sell/deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana. West was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $20,00.00 bond.

Eddie Wright, 25, of Fayetteville was charged with (3)-three counts of trafficking opium or heroin, sell/deliver schedule II, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver schedule II, manufacturing schedule II, sell/deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana. Wright was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $600,00.00 bond.

Christopher Mason, 27, of Fayetteville was charged with sell/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, and manufacturing cocaine. Mason was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $60,00.00 bond.

William Carter, 22, of Fayetteville was charged with sell/deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, and manufacturing marijuana. Carter was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $102,500.00 bond.

James Johnson, 32, of Clarkton was charged with sell/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, possession of cocaine, and manufacturing cocaine. Johnson was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $100,000.00 bond.

Kristofer Kolar, 25, of Lumberton was charged with sell/deliver schedule II, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver schedule II, and manufacturing schedule II. Kolar was arrested and booked in the Bladen County Detention Center under a $150,000.00 bond.

Sheriff McVicker noted, “Working with these other agencies helps everyone because we can share intelligence and manpower. This use of resources is what is often referred to as a force multiplier. When agencies bond together we are able to make a difference.”

Tamra Russ

Nathaniel Spivey

Dashona Unique Deshantel Rhone Lewis

Antonia Smith

Sheriff James A. McVicker is seeking the help of the public to locate several individuals being sought for the sale of drugs in Bladen.

“Following an undercover operation involving the controlled purchase of narcotics, we are looking for these individuals to arrest,” said McVicker. “We need the public’s help to locate these individuals. If you know where they can be found please contact the Sheriff’s Officer at 910-862-6960. All information will be kept confidential.”

The people being sought are:

Nathaniel Spivey, 37, of Bladenboro is wanted for possession of schedule III controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of schedule VI controlled substances, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping or selling controlled substances, and 8 probation violations.

Tamra Russ, 33, of Bladenboro is wanted for possession of schedule III controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of schedule VI controlled substances, and maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping or selling controlled substances.

Antonia Nicole Smith, 30, of Elizabethtown is wanted for sell/deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping or selling controlled substances, manufacturing cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, and possession of cocaine.

Dashona Unique Deshantel Rhone-Lewis, 23, of Elizabethtown is wanted for sell/deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping or selling controlled substances, manufacturing cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver cocaine, and possession of cocaine.

Any assistance will be appreciated.

Shallotte PD 2

Shallotte PD 3

Shalotte PD 1

By Erin Smith

The Shallotte Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the man in the photos. He is wanted for questioning by police for making fraudulent purchases at the Lowes Home Improvement Store in Shallotte and at other locations in North and South Carolina.

If you have any information as to the identity of the individual in the photos, you are asked to contact the Shallotte Police Department at 910-754-6008 and ask for Detective Sgt. J. Holman.

By Erin Smith

Bladen County residents are being urged to secure their four wheelers when they are not in use after a rash of four wheeler thefts.

“There have been several four wheelers stolen in the southern part of Bladen County,” said Bladen County Chief Deputy Larry Guyton.

The most recent theft was reported on Wednesday, May 23rd, when a homeowner’s wife reported their Polaris Four Wheeler was missing. The incident ocurred at 154 McKee Road, Clarkton, said Guyton.

The missing four wheeler is described as a red 2018 Polaris 570 Sportsman with two brackets in the front holding a speaker. The four wheeler was valued at $7,200 and has been entered into NCIC as stolen, according to Guyton.

Guyton said officers found tracks from the four wheeler leading across a field behind the home. Deputies have no further leads in the case.

“Homeowners are urged to secure them (four wheelers) and keep them stored in a locked building if possible,” said Guyton. He added there have been reports or four or five four wheelers which have been stolen recently in Bladen County.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office at 910-862-6960.

WILMINGTON– The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announces that a Federal grand jury in Wilmington has returned an indictment against Raymond Lee Bryant, Jr., of Roseboro, North Carolina.  Bryant is charged with carjacking, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking,  possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

If convicted of these charges, Bryant would face a statutory minimum of fifty-five years imprisonment and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

According to law enforcement, Bryant, is alleged to have committed multiple carjackings on Interstate 95 in Dunn, North Carolina on May 3, 2018.  Bryant is alleged to have approached a semi-truck and trailer, forced the driver and passenger out of the truck at gunpoint after firing a round and attempted to drive the truck away.  As Bryant was backing up the truck, it jack-knifed and blocked the northbound lanes of Interstate 95.  Bryant exited the truck and attempted to carjack another semi-truck and trailer, however the driver of that truck exited the vehicle as he saw Bryant approach, locked the door and ran.  Bryant then approached a third truck, brandished a firearm and carjacked that truck.  Bryant sped north on Interstate 95 and was later arrested by the North Carolina Highway State Patrol in Nash County.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative.  This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The charge and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced Marvin Earl Blanks, Jr., 33, of Lumberton, North Carolina, to 84 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Blanks was named in a two-count Indictment on June 15, 2017 charging him with one count of Possession of Stolen Firearms and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.  On December 21, 2017, Blanks pled guilty to those charges.

On August 12, 2016, officers of the Elizabethtown Police Department took a report as to the theft of a .38 caliber Taurus firearm.  The victim advised that he had a vehicle washed earlier in the day at The Car Wash in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and his firearm had been in the vehicle’s center console.  When he looked in the center console that evening, the firearm was no longer there.  Officers interviewed employees that had washed the vehicle, including Blanks.  Blanks denied taking a firearm.

On September 8, 2016, officers with the Lumberton Police Department responded to a robbery call.  The victim informed officers that he had been walking from church to the Shop & Save convenience store to get a soda when a group of individuals began yelling at him from a parking lot.  On his way back to the church after visiting the store, two individuals, one later identified as Blanks, approached the victim and began asking questions.  Blanks then pointed a gun at the victim.  The victim attempted to run, but Blanks and his accomplice caught the victim and pushed him to the ground.  Blanks pointed the gun to the victim’s head while the other man took the victim’s cellphone and money.  After the robbery, the victim called 911 from the church.  He advised law enforcement that he had been robbed and that he had seen Blanks walk into the Shop & Save.

Lumberton Police Officers responded and located Blanks inside the convenience store based on the victim’s description.  Officers ordered Blanks to place his hands on the counter and initiated a search.  In Blanks’ pocket, they found the victim’s stolen cell phone and a .38 caliber Taurus.  Law enforcement transported the victim to the store, and the victim positively identified Blanks as the one who robbed him.  The Taurus handgun was identified by serial number as the same one stolen from The Car Wash on August 12, 2016, less than a month before the robbery.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Elizabethtown Police Department, the Lumberton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh handled the prosecution of this case for the government.

NEW BERN – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that, Kiet Vo, 50, of Fayetteville, was sentenced by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan to 18 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Conduct an Illegal Gambling Business.

In January 2015, with the assistance of confidential informants (CIs), surveillance, and undercover operations, law enforcement established that a number of illegal gambling businesses were in operation in Cumberland County, North Carolina. Each gambling business had multiple video gaming machines (VGMs) which were owned and supplied by Kiet Vo and his wife, Phuong Truong.  CIs identified multiple co-conspirators who operated the various gambling businesses, or would drop off and/or pick up money from each location. CIs further noted, and a co-conspirator statement later confirmed, that all of the money made by the illegal gambling operations belonged to Vo, and the accounting or audit sheets, of each machine’s monetary transactions was performed by his wife. Investigation revealed that any profit from a gambling business was turned over to Vo. In turn, Vo would subtract the cost of the VGMs and, in some cases, pay the operating expenses of the establishment.  In other cases, the operator of the establishment would be responsible for operating costs. Investigators established that the Vo organization, in total, would profit between $25,000 and $60,000 per week.

Between 2015 and 2017, cooperating defendants provided multiple statements confirming the roles and responsibilities of Kiet Vo and his wife.  Statements confirmed that Vo controlled and directed the individuals at each location including the monetary split, the number of machines, and whose name the rent and/or utility bills would be in. Vo also directed multiple individuals in addition to his wife, to pick up and deliver money to and from each of the locations.  Phuong Truong also directed the operators of each establishment in the collection of the money and while conducting the audits of each machine, including teaching others how to conduct the audits themselves.  Additionally, Kiet Vo recruited other defendants and either encouraged or insisted that they open other illegal gambling businesses and/or maintain more VGMs.

Phuong Truong is scheduled to be sentenced during the July 10, 2018 term of court.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Homeland Security.  Assistant United States Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes represented the government in this case.

By Erin Smith

Baxley
Photo Courtesy Bladen County Jail

A former Smithfield Foods employee was arrested and charged with felony larceny by employee.

Michael James Baxley Jr. of 310 Ronald Britt Road, Bladenboro, was charged with three counts of felony larceny by employee and three counts of possession of stolen goods, according to Bladen County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Larry Guyton. He is scheduled to appear in Bladen County District Court on Thursday, May 31.

“He was caught removing stainless steel from Smithfield. It was a stainless steel drum known as a belly washer,” said Guyton.

The belly washer was valued at $7,000. Guyton said the investigation was conducted over several weeks and led officers to Omni Source located at 445 Gidden Street in Fayetteville. Guyton said Omni Source purchases scrap metal.

“We were able to obtain receipts and tickets where he (Baxley) sold scrap metal over a period of time,” said Guyton.

The receipts totaled more than $28,000 and all of the metal is alleged to have come from Smithfield Foods, according to Guyton.

By Erin Smith

An Elizabethtown man was found not guilty of drugs charges and other charges against him have been dismissed.

Treiman Davon Thomas, of 1003 Richardson Street in Elizabethtown, was found not guilty of possession with intent to manufacture sell and deliver, not guilty of possession of schedule II substance, and not guilty of delivering a schedule II substance and a charge of manufacture was dismissed at the discretion of the court. The jury trial took place on May 21st.

Court records also show Thomas had charges of maintaining a vehicle/dwelling to sell controlled substances a charge for sell and delivering controlled substances dismissed at the discretion of the prosecution.

Thomas said, “It feels great to be exonerated of all charges, my character, dignity, and integrity has been restored to the community. I have always and will have faith in our judicial system and would like to thank each and every member of the jury who seen pass the false accusations that incriminated my character.”

Thomas was arrested during Operation Fall Harvest which as conducted as joint operation of the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Probation and Parole.Operation Fall Harvest was conducted in October 2016.

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that, ANTONIO KEVIN MCKOY, 31, of Garland, NC, TONY CHEVALLIER, 31, of Turkey, NC, and JABARR RYEHEINE RUDOLPH, 38, of Clinton, NC were convicted in Federal Court following a seven day jury trial before Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III.

The jury found all three men guilty of Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute significant quantities of multiple controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine, and “Molly”. Additional convictions were sustained for the distribution of various controlled substances and multiple firearm related charges. The investigation giving rise to the charges faced at trial began in 2013. Multiple and extensive investigative techniques were utilized throughout this case.

The evidence presented at trial detailed a significant drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that was built and lead by ANTONIO MCKOY. The DTO maintained contacts with individuals throughout the Southeastern United States who supplied the drugs sold primarily within Eastern North Carolina. In addition to trafficking drugs, the DTO maintained a sophisticated apparatus that was used to launder the proceeds derived from drug sales.

The evidence presented at trial showed a trucking company that MCKOY started in early 2016 was used to conceal the money collected in the drug business. The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Departments of Revenue and Emergency Management. Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Knott and Toby Lathan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court today, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced JAMES TRUMAN WIGGINS, JR.¸68, of LaGrange, North Carolina to 25 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.  In addition the court ordered WIGGINS to pay restitution in the amount of $5,669,891.00 and he is excluded from participating in any federal crop insurance programs for 5 years.  The court also ordered forfeiture in the amount of $5,600,433.00.

WIGGINS previously pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information charging him with conspiracy to commit various offenses against the United States, false statements to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, material false statements to the Farm Service Agency, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the Criminal Information, WIGGINS and other persons worked together to defraud the United States of America, through the filing of false federal crop insurance claims and false federal crop disaster relief claims, to structure transactions to evade reporting requirements, and to engage in various financial transactions to conceal the fraud.  The conspirators owned and rented farmland in Lenoir, Wayne, and Greene Counties, and produced, among other crops, tobacco, corn, wheat, and soybeans.  The conspirators hid some or all of their tobacco and/or grain productions by selling it in nominee names or for cash to a co-conspiring tobacco warehouseman and grain dealers.  The conspirators profited under the scheme because they were paid twice for each pound of tobacco or bushel of grain:  once through the false crop insurance claim, and also through the sale of the hidden crop.   WIGGINS used nominee names, as well as a stolen identity, to conceal the sale of the crops.  WIGGINS also submitted the false production data in connection with his federal crop disaster claim, thereby getting disaster relief monies to which he was not entitled.  At one point, WIGGINS created a fictitious entity, fabricated sale bills, and submitted those records to his insurance company in order to obtain better coverage for his crops.

Between 2007 and 2011, WIGGINS and his conspirators collectively filed false claims in excess of $5.6 million.  The conspirators, among other things, paid farming expenses and outstanding loan balances with the proceeds from their criminal conduct.

Mr. Higdon commented: “Put very simply, this defendant stole more than $5 million from the taxpayers of this State and this Country.  This type of crime is what undermines the solvency of our federal programs and deprives those who need the funds of that support.  I want to commend the investigators who have pursued these cases for so long.  Their effort to protect the public’s money is key to the success of programs like the Federal Crop Insurance Program.”

“Today’s sentencing is a direct result of the excellent partnership the IRS, USDA and the U.S. Attorney’s office has in combating violations of Federal law.  With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to investigate not only tax crimes but all other related financial crimes.  The sentence Wiggin’s received is a testament to the investigative team’s hard work and commitment and should serve as a deterrent to those who might contemplate similar fraudulent actions,” said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office.

The charges in this case stem from the on-going, multi-target crop insurance fraud investigation in the Eastern District of North Carolina.  To date, the office has prosecuted 48 other farmers, agents, and/or adjusters for similar criminal conduct.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations; the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, Investigations; and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency, Special Investigations Branch.  Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan is handling the prosecution on behalf to the Eastern District of North Carolina.

RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III sentenced James Daniel Mckoy, 54 from Garland, North Carolina, to 210 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. James Mckoy was part of a violent drug trafficking organization operating in Sampson County. On February 5, 2018, James Mckoy pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 5 Kilograms of More of Cocaine, 280 Grams of More of Cocaine Base (Crack), a Quantity of Marijuana, and a Quantity of Heroin; three-counts of Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base while Aiding and Abetting Another; Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; two-counts of Distribution of 28 Grams or More of Cocaine Base while Aiding and Abetting Another; and Distribution of 28 Grams or  More of Cocaine Base and a Quantity of Heroin while Aiding and Abetting Another.

In December 2013, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in Clinton, North Carolina, identified a drug-trafficking  organization (DTO) led by Antonio Kevin McKoy. This investigation confirmed that within the Eastern District of North Carolina, the DTO distributed significant quantities of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, prescription pain pills, and firearms throughout Eastern North Carolina from at least 2007 until late September 2016. Antonio McKoy utilized dozens of individuals, including his uncle, James Mckoy, to build and sustain this DTO’s operation. Antonio McKoy was convicted in Federal Court on May 22, 2018 following a jury trial and is currently awaiting sentencing.

The investigation utilized a myriad of techniques and tools to gather extensive evidence about the DTO. The collected evidence confirmed Antonio McKoy maintained multiple residences in the Garland, North Carolina, area from where cocaine, crack, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription pills were stored, packaged, distributed or supplied to others for distribution. These residences were also utilized to manufacture cocaine into crack. James Mckoy’s residence in Garland was utilized for these purposes.  The investigation determined the James Mckoy was accountable for a total of 226.8 grams of marijuana, 31.5 grams of cocaine, 912.395 grams of crack and 225.2 grams of heroin. He is also accountable for possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.

The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Departments o Revenue and Emergency Management. Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Knott and Toby Lathan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.