Elm City Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Drug Conspiracy

RALEIGH – United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced RODNEY DURRELL THOMAS, also known as “LIL BRUH,” 21, of Elm City, North Carolina to 156 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

The prosecution of THOMAS was a part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF), entitled Tri County Hook Up, announced by the United States Attorney’s Office earlier this summer, which resulted in the arrest of several defendants for outstanding federal and state charges in a coordinated warrant enforcement operation.  The investigation focused on heroin and cocaine trafficking in Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties.

THOMAS was named in an eleven-count Indictment filed on June 13, 2018 charging him with a drug conspiracy running from at least August 1, 2017 until mid-June of 2018.  Specifically, THOMAS was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, twenty-eight (28) grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine; as well as possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of twenty-eight (28) grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine.  On February 15, 2019, THOMAS pled guilty to those charges.    

According to the investigation, THOMAS was a part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and marijuana throughout the Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties.  As part of the investigation, law enforcement recorded telephone calls where THOMAS discussed the drug conspiracy with his co-defendants and made arrangements for further drug transactions.  THOMAS sold 10 bricks of heroin each, which is approximately 1000 individual bags, on two occasions from his home in Elm City, NC.  THOMAS frequently possessed firearms in connection with the drug conspiracy and received a firearm sentencing enhancement.  Additionally, THOMAS fled from law enforcement in a reckless manner and received a sentencing enhancement for reckless endangerment.

On December 13, 2018, the Court sentenced Michael Speight, 26, of Elm City, North Carolina to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release;  MARCUS ANTWAN WILEY, also known as “MARK,” 29, of Elm City, North Carolina was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release; and TRAVIS KWYMAINE RUFFIN, 29, of Wilson, North Carolina was sentenced to 54 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release for their roles in the drug conspiracy.   At the time of the instant offense, WILEY was on supervised release resulting from a 2009 federal conviction of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, armed bank robbery, and the use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  After WILEY admitted to the criminal activity, his term of supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to an additional 37 months’ imprisonment to be served at the conclusion of his sentence for the drug conspiracy.  On January 28, 2019, MARQUICE QUASHAWN MCCOY, 30, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.  On March 4, 2019, DE’ANDRE ANTHONY LUCAS, 29, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release for his involvement in the drug conspiracy.  On April 17, 2019, SHAQUANDRA MCALLISTER, 28, of Wilson, North Carolina was sentenced to 42 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years supervised release for her involvement in the drug conspiracy.

This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s 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. For moe information about this intiative please click here:  https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.

Investigation of this enforcement operation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Probation Office, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, Wilson Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Tarboro Police Department, Spring Hope Police Department, Nashville Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.  Assistant United States Attorney Dena King represented the government.