Seventh Defendant Sentenced in Operation Dare Devil

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court on October 31, 2011, CURTIS WADE BRYANT SR., 59, of Manteo, North Carolina pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and cocaine base (crack). Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced BRYANT to 108 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release.

Between December 2009 and October 10, 2010, an agent of the government purchased cocaine and cocaine base from BRYANT on six occasions from BRYANT’S residence in Manteo, North Carolina. BRYANT’S residence was within 1000 feet of a public park, and the purchases occurred during day-time hours. BRYANT was subsequently arrested by the Dare County Sheriff’s Office. At the time of these sales, BRYANT was on state probation for distributing drugs from his residence. The investigation revealed that BRYANT was responsible for distributing more than two kilograms of cocaine and approximately half of a kilogram of crack cocaine from 2005 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,” which involves investigating importers and mulit-level distributors of cocaine and cocaine base (crack) in Dare and Currituck County. To date, seven people have been sentenced in federal court as a part of this operation.

The investigation of this OCEDTF case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, 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 OCDETF criminal matters, made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission and the New Hanover County Commissioners.