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
FOUR NEW YORK MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRING TO DISTRIBUTE CRACK COCAINE THROUGHOUT CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA
Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced today that Giovanni A. Petro, age 23, of Brooklyn, New York, Moelek Harrel, age 18, of Long Island, New York, Charles Williams, age 19, of Brooklyn, New York and Rydell D. Gist, age 23, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville for charges related to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.
“These four men traveled from New York to the Western District of Virginia for the sole purpose of selling crack cocaine,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “I am grateful for the effort put forth by the men and women who investigated this case to put an end to the drug trafficking activities of these individuals.”
All four men were indicted on May 15, 2008 and charged with conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine and a variety of other charges related to the possession and distribution of crack cocaine. According to the indictment, the defendants had been traveling from New York to Virginia to sell crack cocaine beginning in January 2008 and continuing until the end of February 2008.
Today in District Court, all four entered guilty pleas to conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine. According to evidence presented at today’s hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Jeb Terrien, members of the JADE Task Force made multiple controlled drug buys of crack cocaine from the defendants.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the JADE Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jeb Terrien is prosecuting the case for the United States.