Drug Kingpin Sentenced
Defendant Previously Admitted To Bringing Drugs From New York To Charlottesville
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA -- The ring leader of a 15 person drug conspiracy that brought cocaine and heroin from New York City to the streets of Charlottesville was sentenced this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
Rodney Wayne Barnes, 44, of Queens, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, heroin and powder cocaine and one count of money laundering. This morning in United States District Court, Barnes was sentenced to 264 months of federal incarceration.
Previously in District Court, members of the conspiracy have admitted to being involved in a conspiracy that brought large amounts cocaine and heroin from New York City to Charlottesville, Manassas, Norfolk and Wilmington, N.C.
Once the drugs reached those cities, Barnes, considered the kingpin of the conspiracy, obtained the services of local drug addicts to pose as street-level dealers. He instructed those dealers to deposit the proceeds of their drug sales into a checking account at bank branches in Virginia. Barnes and Osborne then withdrew the drug money from bank branches in New York.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the JADE Task Force, the City of Charlottesville Police Department, the Albemarle County Police Department and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Offices for both the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle. Assistant United States Attorney Ron Huber and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Platania and Elliott Casey are prosecuting the case for the United States.
