New Hanover Drug Dealer Sentenced

WILMINGTON, NC—United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court on December 8, 2010, Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox sentenced JEROME RICO EVANS, 25, of New Hanover County, North Carolina, to 170 months' imprisonment followed by three years' supervised release.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on January 28, 2010. On May 10, 2010, EVANS pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and cocaine base (crack)On September 10, 2009, EVANS was arrested by the Wilmington Police Department in possession of crack cocaine and heroin. The investigation revealed that between August and September 2009, EVANS distributed 20 grams of heroin in the Wilmington, North Carolina. Between January 6, 2010 and February 2, 2010, EVANS sold heroin twice and crack cocaine once to an agent of the Wilmington Police Department.

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, 47 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. This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor's Crime Commission and the New Hanover County Commissioners.