Dare County Drug Dealer Sentenced

RALEIGH—United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday United States District Judge James C, Dever III, sentenced DONALD CRAIG CHARITY, 37, of Barco, North Carolina, to 126 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release.

A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment on September 23, 2010. On December 6, 2010, CHARITY pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base (crack).

Between April 2, 2010, and April 14, 2010, on three occasions controlled purchases of cocaine base were made from CHARITY in Dare County, North Carolina. He was arrested by the Dare County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation revealed that CHARITY was responsible for distributing more than three-and-a-half kilograms of cocaine and a quantity of crack cocaine from 2008 until the time of his arrest.

This case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled Dare Devil, investigating importers and multi-level distributors of cocaine and cocaine base (crack) into Dare and Currituck County.

Investigation of this case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kill Devil Hill 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. This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission and the New Hanover County Commissioners.