Home Pittsburgh Press Releases 2010 Three Georgia Residents Plead Guilty to Selling Crack Cocaine in Huntington
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

Three Georgia Residents Plead Guilty to Selling Crack Cocaine in Huntington

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 16, 2010
  • Southern District of West Virginia (304) 345-2200

HUNTINGTON, WV—Charles “Goldie” Williams, 34, Nekoase “Shadow/Fly” Vinson, 26, and Thomas “30” Redding, 21, all of Macon, Georgia, entered guilty pleas today to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base in Huntington, West Virginia and the surrounding area.

A federal investigation revealed that from 2001 through 2009, Williams and Vinson led a drug conspiracy employing five or more street-level dealers. As part of their conspiracy, the two personally, and with the assistance of others, cooked powder cocaine into cocaine base for sale by co-conspirators. The duo also coordinated resupply efforts and fronted crack cocaine to conspiracy members. Further, Williams and Vinson collected cash from conspiracy members to resupply the conspiracy with crack.

To further their drug conspiracy, Williams and Vinson recruited dealers from their hometown of Macon, Georgia, with the promise of higher profits in Huntington. They provided guidance to new arrivals regarding drug portioning and pricing to maximize profits, arranged for posting of bond for conspiracy members who had been arrested, and collected bond money from conspiracy members. They also recruited local residents to provide locations to store their drug inventory, drug profits, firearms, ammunition, digital scales, police radio scanners, and related items. Others were also recruited to rent cars for street-level deals and to make out-of-state trips to resupply the conspiracy with cocaine. The defendants also possessed one or more firearms in connection with conspiracy activities. Redding, who joined the conspiracy in 2006, participated in many of the conspiracy related activities. All three have been detained since their arrest. Williams and Vinson are scheduled to be sentenced on July 19, and Redding is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2. All three face sentences of a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Huntington Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Huntington Police Department, West Virginia State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lawrence County (Ohio) Drug Task Force, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the proceedings.

This content has been reproduced from its original source.