Home Washington Press Releases 2009 Main Supplier for Centreville Heroin Ring Pleads Guilty
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Main Supplier for Centreville Heroin Ring Pleads Guilty

U.S. Attorney’s Office April 21, 2009
  • Eastern District of Virginia (703) 299-3700

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Antonio Lamont Harper, age 33, of Waldorf, Md., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the heroin conspiracy. Harper is the fifteenth individual to plead guilty in the ongoing investigation, “Operation Smackdown,” involving a heroin trafficking ring in Centreville, Va.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. 

Harper was indicted on Feb. 13, 2009, by a federal grand jury.  Sentencing has been set for July 17, 2009.  Harper faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison on the drug charge and a five or seven year mandatory minimum penalty for the gun charge, which must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Both charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.

In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Harper admitted that from about 2006 through November 2008, he obtained bulk quantities of heroin and repackaged the heroin for distribution in individual bags, which he distributed on a regular basis to others, including many of those involved in the Centreville heroin ring. During this time, he possessed a .45 caliber handgun, which was clearly visible tucked in his waistband or would be displayed on the seat of the car or on his lap during a drug deal. According to court documents, Harper and his co-conspirators distributed between 10 to 30 kilograms of heroin from 2006 to November 2008.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fairfax County Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erik R. Barnett, Daniel J. Grooms and Lauren A. Wetzler.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov.

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