Drug Conspirators Convicted
NORFOLK, Va. – Samuel Lloyd, 48, of Stone Mountain, Ga.; David A. Wheeler, 45, of Houston, Tex.; and Earl R. Fuller, Jr., 49, of Virginia Beach, Va., were all convicted today by a Norfolk federal jury for their roles in a drug conspiracy involving the large scale distribution of cocaine and marijuana.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the verdicts were accepted by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. Fuller is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2012 and faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison. Lloyd and Wheeler face a maximum penalty of life in prison when they are sentenced the same day.
Lloyd, Wheeler and Fuller were indicted on March 16, 2011. According to court records and evidence at trial, they brought into this and other areas thousands of pounds of marijuana and dozens of kilos of cocaine via tractor trailers and personal vehicles with secret compartments. Millions of dollars connected to the enterprise have been seized by various law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Virginia Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Everhart is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
