NORFOLK, Va. – Around 150 law enforcement officers from Norfolk Police, FBI, DEA and the U.S Marshals participated in Operation Goodfellas Tuesday morning.
Law enforcement executed arrest warrants on five Hampton Roads men in regards to their alleged participation in a $19 million drug trafficking conspiracy.
One man remains a fugitive, WTKR reports.
“These defendants allegedly distributed approximately $19 million of illegal narcotics in Hampton Roads. The resources and collaborative efforts used to investigate this alleged drug trafficking organization is a prime example of the positive impact of federal, state, and local cooperation. My sincere thanks to our law enforcement partners for their outstanding efforts on this case,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
From 2009 to present, several drug traffickers from the Ingleside section of Norfolk have been involved in distributing large quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana, according to allegations in the indictment.
(R to L) Brandon Jaami Williams, Ulises Garcia-Razo, Kerry Jay Darden, Maurice Antonio Barnes, Reginald Sam Beale, Johnell Deshawn Stepney
In September 2016, law enforcement began making controlled buys of cocaine from Reginald Sam Beale, 38-years-old, of Norfolk.
They continued making controlled purchases of cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine from Beale’s co-conspirators:
- Maurice Antonio Barnes, 36-years-old, of Norfolk
- Brandon Jaami Williams, 37-years-old, of Virginia Beach
- Breon Lashawn Dixon, 39-years-old, of Chesapeake
- Johnell Deshawn Stepney, 34-years-old, of Norfolk
Through June 2018, law enforcement made a total of 29 controlled purchases.
Evidence that was obtained in the Summer of 2018 revealed Barnes’ local source of supply was obtaining large amounts of cocaine and heroin from a Los Angeles based source of supply.
A conservative estimate of the amount of narcotics related to this drug trafficking organization is responsible for distributing:
11 1/2 kilos of crack, 436 kilos of cocaine, 54 kilos of heroin, 1 ounce of fentanyl and over 20 pounds of marijuana, with a street value over $19 million.
According to officials, “the cocaine was being trucked to Virginia and off-loaded at a public storage facility in Virginia Beach in 10 and 20-kilo loads. In June 2018, Williams was arrested with 13 kilograms of cocaine (with a street value over $500,000) when he tried to transfer the cocaine from an apartment in the luxury ICON apartments in downtown Norfolk to another luxury apartment on Granby Street”.
In addition, evidence led to the arrest of two California and Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations. Jose Moices Luna-Abrego, 20-years-old, of Los Angeles, and Ulises Abel Garcia-Razo, 39-years-old, of Mexico were arrested in July in a successful hotel sting operation conducted by FBI, DEA and Norfolk Police after flying Virginia to attempt to retrieve some of the cocaine and collect over $500,000.
“This investigation represents the FBI’s long-standing commitment to working with our law enforcement partners at every level to strangle the source and supply of dangerous drugs in our communities. No one agency can do it alone and it is now more important than ever that we work together as one team in this fight. However, to make the greatest impact we also need allies in the community. Brazen criminals who poison and terrorize our neighborhoods often hide in plain sight, and citizens who come forward with information about criminal activity help law enforcement make Hampton Roads a safer place to live, work, and raise our families,” said Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.
The defendants and co-conspirators would utilize and attempt to utilize various locations, including but not limited to the following:
- Sewells Point Tire and Auto Repair, 3439 Sewells Point Road, Norfolk
- Public Storage Unit #62 on Village Drive, Virginia Beach
- Life Storage Unit #285, 1213 East Brambleton Avenue, Norfolk
- ICON Apartments, #708, in the 200 block of East Main Street, Norfolk
- Metro Apartments, #509 in the 400 block of Granby Street, Norfolk
- Residence in 100 block of West 32nd Street, Norfolk
“For years, members of this organization have allegedly distributed significant quantities of narcotics throughout Hampton Roads. These indictments and arrests represent the dismantling of an allegedly prominent drug trafficking organization responsible for the smuggling, transportation and distribution of substantial quantities of narcotics from Los Angeles to Norfolk. This successful investigation demonstrates the commitment of the DEA, FBI and Norfolk Police Department working together to protect the citizens of this community,” said Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division.
The U.S. Marshals provided significant assistance with the execution of arrest warrants this morning.
