Final Defendant Pleads To Heroin Charges
Heroin Being Sold in the Valley Was Imported from Baltimore
HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia and the District of Maryland have teamed up in a joint effort to stop the flow of illegal drugs from the streets of Baltimore to the neighborhoods of Western Virginia.
This joint effort, which began following a series of community and law enforcement meetings between the two districts, has already been successful in slowing the flow of drugs into Virginia.
Earlier this week, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Harrisonburg, the final defendant of a three-member conspiracy pled guilty to charges related to the trafficking of heroin between Baltimore and Virginia.
James Henry Roberts, 22, of Baltimore, Md., Trevor Anthony Williams, a.k.a. “T”, 25, also of Baltimore, Md. and Jonathan Phillip Hill, 55, of Harrisonburg, Va. have each pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. At sentencing, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum possible penalty of up to 40 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $8,000,000.
“The successful resolution of this case is a direct reflection of the hard work and cooperation between law enforcement agencies in different states,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “Thanks to investigators in both Maryland and Virginia, there is less heroin on our streets. If we are to ever truly make a difference in the ongoing struggle to stem the flow of illegal drugs into our communities, we must take a holistic approach by combining enforcement and prevention solutions.”
According to evidence presented in court by Assistant United States Attorney Grayson Hoffman, from approximately November 2009 to June 2011, Hill traveled from Harrisonburg, Va. to Baltimore, Md. to purchase heroin from Roberts and Williams. Hill has admitted to typically purchasing between 5-10 grams of heroin during each transaction.
Following each transaction, Hill would return to Harrisonburg and repackage and distribute the heroin to other users. In the course of the conspiracy between Hill, Roberts and Williams, Hill purchased, repackaged and distributed more than 100 grams of heroin.
The investigation of this case is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Winchester, Va. and Baltimore, Md., the RUSH Drug Task Force (which consists of officers from the Harrisonburg Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police) and the United States Attorney Office for the District of Maryland. Assistant United States Attorney Grayson Hoffman is prosecuting the case for the Western District of Virginia.
