NEWS RELEASE
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
Julia C. Dudley Acting United States Attorney Brian McGinn Public Affairs Specialist |
BB&T Building 310 1st Street, S.W., Room 906 Roanoke, Virginia 24011 (540) 857-2974 FAX (540) 857-2179 |
October 31, 2008
JURY CONVICTS TWO, 15 DEFENDANTS PLEAD
GUILTY IN CRACK COCAINE TRAFFICKING CASE
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that a Federal jury sitting in Abingdon, Virginia convicted two members of a cocaine and crack cocaine trafficking organization that had been a target of a year-and-a-half long investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Douglas Lee Stallworth, 37, and Bruce Edward Baumgardner, 58, both of Bristol, Virginia, Virginia, were convicted of all charges after a three-day jury trial in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Abingdon, Virginia.
Baumgardner and Stallworth were both convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. Baumgardner was also convicted of maintaining a location for the purpose of distributing and using a controlled substance. Additionally, on October 27, 2008, prior to the start of the trial, fifteen other members of the conspiracy entered pleas of guilty to charges associated with the drug-trafficking conspiracy. To date, thirty-eight defendants have either plead guilty or been found guilty of charges associated with the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
According to evidence presented at trial by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Lee, Baumgardner and Stallworth were members of the drug trafficking organization headed by Derrick Lamont Evans, Oedipus Mumphrey, and Kerry Donnell Lee, all of Burlington, North Carolina. Evidence was presented that the main distributors of the conspiracy were individuals from Burlington, NC, many of which were associated with Kantstop Records, Inc., a rap music production company of which Derrick Lamont Evans was the president and CEO.
The evidence presented at trial showed that the crack cocaine trafficking organization transported large quantities of powder cocaine and crack cocaine to Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee between January 2003 and April 30, 2008. The United States presented evidence that it was Stallworth that encouraged Evans to establish his drug trafficking organization in the Bristol area based upon the profits that could be made in the untapped drug market. Further evidence demonstrated that Stallworth not only assisted Evans in the distribution of crack cocaine, but that Stallworth was also a sub-distributor in the organization.
According to evidence presented at trial, Baumgardner was a sub-distributor for Evans and Oedipus Mumphrey, and primarily distributed crack cocaine from his residence in Bristol, Virginia. Furthermore, Baumgardner allowed numerous other individuals within the organization to both distribute and use crack cocaine and other controlled substances at his residence.
Both Stallworth and Baumgardner face a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. Based upon sentencing enhancements filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for their prior convictions for felony drug offenses, both Stallworth and Baumgardner face mandatory sentences of life imprisonment.
Prior to the start of Stallworth and Baumgardner’s trial, on October 27, 2008, fifteen other members of the conspiracy entered pleas of guilty to the charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. Those individuals are:
1) Oedipus Lavar Mumphrey, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
2) Martin Avery Hughes, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
3) Valerie Sue Lester, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
4) Jerry Shelley, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment. Additionally, Shelley entered a plea of guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense which carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory sentence of five years imprisonment that must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Shelley also entered a plea of guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm by a unlawful user of controlled substances. He faces a potential maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
5) Marcus Andrew Watkins, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
6) Tamaray Dorrell Lea, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
7) Frederick Lyle Cato, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
8) Jessica Rodriguez, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
9) Jason Ward, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
10) Andrea Suzanne Tanner, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
11) Robert Ray Meade, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
12) Melissa Ward, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
13) Dennis Franklin Kelley, Bristol, TN - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
14) Timothy Garrett, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
15) Keesha Lacree Robbins, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment. Additionally, Robbins entered a plea of guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense which carries a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory sentence of five years imprisonment that must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
Additionally, nineteen other members of the conspiracy had previously entered pleas of guilty to the charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. Those individuals are:
1) Derek Lamont Evans, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
2) Emmanuel Morton, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
3) Kristy Stowers, Bristol, TN - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
4) Darrell Hughes, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
5) Brittany Branch, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
6) LeAnn Berry, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
7) Chere Crain, Bristol, TN - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
8) Herchel Davis, Jr., Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
9) Andre Watkins, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
10) Kerry Donnell Lee, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
11) Candace Maynard, Bristol, TN - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
12) Sean Statzer, Bristol, TN - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
13) Gregory Meade, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
14) Tammy Stallworth, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $8,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for her prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
15) Shantha Calhoun, Abingdon, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
16) Paul Vaughn, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
17) April Stiltner, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
18) Bryant Kelly Pride, Burlington, NC - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for his prior conviction for a felony drug offense.
19) Timothy Norton, Bristol, VA - faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
Two other members of the conspiracy, Anthony Eugene Duty, Bristol, Virginia, and Robin Marie Davis, Abingdon, Virginia, were convicted on October 10, 2008, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine after a five-day jury trial. Davis faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $8,000,000.00 fine. She also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years imprisonment based upon a sentencing enhancement filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for her prior conviction for a felony drug offense. Duty faces a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an $4,000,000.00 fine. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Bristol, Tennessee Police Department, Bristol, Virginia Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, Abingdon Police Department, Washington County, Virginia Sheriff’s Department, Virginia State Police, and the 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force. The investigation was assisted by the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, City of Bristol Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee of the United States Attorney’s Office in Abingdon is prosecuting the case.