Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers Holas and Ross Sentenced to Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

CHARLOTTE, NC—Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers Gerald H. Holas, Jr., 35, and Jason A. Ross, 35, were sentenced today for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. The announcement is made by Edward R. Ryan, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina; Owen Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina; and Chief Rodney Monroe of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

On July 23, 2008, Holas and Ross pled guilty to conspiring with other persons to distribute crack cocaine while serving as Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers. Holas and Ross both received sentences of 108 months imprisonment followed by a five (5) year term of supervised release.

“It is tragic that these two officers chose to violate their sacred obligations to uphold the law and join forces with a dangerous drug dealer. Although it is a sad day for all of us who work in law enforcement, these sentences were just and necessary. We will continue to prosecute those who traffick in cocaine and other drugs on our streets and that includes the rare cases where the offender carries a badge,” said Acting United States Attorney Edward R. Ryan.

The investigation was conducted by Special Agents Eric Davis and Daniel Lucero of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled for the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martens and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington.