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 |
July 29, 2008
SECOND MEMBER OF LARGE-SCALE DRUG DISTRIBUTION CONSPIRACY PLEADS GUILTY
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Andre Alexander Williams, age 38, of Charlottesville, Virginia, pled guilty today in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville to charges related to his role in a conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana.
“Mr. Williams was part of a conspiracy that distributed very large amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana throughout our community,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “I am hopeful that today’s guilty plea will be the first step in brining all of these alleged co-conspirators to justice.”
Williams was indicted on February 13, 2008 along with seven other co-conspirators and charged with a multitude of drug distribution offenses, including conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine, more than 500 grams of powder cocaine and more than 100 hundred kilograms of marijuana.
Today in District Court, Williams pled guilty to count two of the indictment, charging him with participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
The maximum penalty faced by the defendant is 40 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of $2,000,000. A sentencing hearing in Williams’ case has been scheduled for November 10, 2008.
Williams is the second member of the conspiracy to plead guilty since being indicted on February 13, 2008. In May, Reginald Vaughn Bly, age 37, pled guilty to a similar offense. Bly faces the same maximum penalty as Williams at his sentencing hearing on August 11, 2008.
The other six individuals indicted in relation to the conspiracy are: Reynold George Samuels, age 39, Jevon Barnett, age 22, Travis McKinsley Barnett, age 28, Penny Alisha Miles, age 30, Carl Anthony Samuels, age 37 and Joe Davis Williams, age 29.
Each defendant listed in the indictment is charged with at the minimum one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine, more than 500 grams of powder cocaine and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. In addition, some defendants are charged with additional drug, gun and copyright infringement crimes.
A jury trial concerning the remaining six defendants will be scheduled in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville later this fall.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Huber is prosecuting the case for the United States.