Forty-Sixth Defendant Sentenced in OCDETF Operation

WILMINGTON, NC—United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court on November 12, 2010, Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox, sentenced OMAR LEE AUGUST, 34, of New Hanover County, North Carolina, to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release. AUGUST has a prior federal conviction for interference with commerce by robbery and a North Carolina state conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon in which one of the victims was killed during the robbery.

On February 24, 2010, a federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment. On May 11, 2010, AUGUST pled guilty to distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (crack) and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

On January 19, 2010, an agent of the government purchased a quantity of crack cocaine from AUGUST. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office searched AUGUST’S residence, following his arrest, and found a loaded semi-automatic rifle capable of accepting a large magazine capacity.

This case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled Don Quixote, investigating importers and multi-level distributors of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and gang activity associated with this distribution. This organization is responsible for the importation and distribution of more than 350 kilograms of cocaine, more than 120 kilograms of crack cocaine, three kilograms of heroin, 20,000 Ecstacy pills, and more than 20 kilograms of marijuana into Eastern North Carolina since 2003. To date, 46 people have been sentenced in federal court as a part of this operation.

Investigation of this OCEDTF case is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Task Force (Wilmington); the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations; the Wilmington Police Department; the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office; the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office; the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office; the Pender County Sheriff’s Office; the Holly Ridge Police Department; the Top Sail Police Department and the Surf City Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo represents the government. Mr. Severo is a prosecutor with the New Hanover District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.