NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
John L. Brownlee United States Attorney Jo Brooks Media Contact |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2250 FAX (540) 857-2180 |
January 8, 2008
GREENSBORO MAN SENTENCED FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING
United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that Rondrae Chavon Oliver, age 28, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in prison for trafficking cocaine powder and “crack” cocaine from Greensboro to Smyth County, Virginia.
Investigators with the DEA, Smyth County Sheriff’s Office and Marion Police Department conducted a sting operation at a residence in the Chilhowie area of Smyth County on March 7, 2006. At that time Oliver was delivering approximately 3 ounces of crack cocaine and 1.5 ounces of cocaine powder. He was accompanied by a female friend and a 2 year-old child.
Further investigation determined that during the past two years, Oliver had delivered over a kilogram each of cocaine and crack to Smyth County, in regular weekly deliveries of 4.5 ounces, typically made up of 3 ounces of crack and 1.5 ounces of cocaine powder. Oliver collected $4200 for each 4.5-ounce delivery.
Oliver was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 1, 2006, and remained at large until he was arrested in North Carolina on June 11, 2007. He entered a plea of guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on October 2, 2007. Sentencing was set for January so that the Court could consider a pre-sentence report and the U. S. Supreme Court’s December 10, 2007, decision in the Kimbrough case. Kimbrough considered the federal sentencing guidelines’ disparity in treatment of crack versus cocaine powder. Rules governing the weight given to each drug were changed in December by the Sentencing Commission and the new rules were applied in this case.
The case was investigated by the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, and the Bristol (Virginia) Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Special Assistant United States Attorney and Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Roy F. Evans, Jr. prosecuted the case.