LYNCHBURG, VA—Eight individuals from the Lynchburg area have been charged with a variety of federal crimes related to an alleged cocaine distribution conspiracy that is accused of dispersing more than 500 grams of cocaine in the Lynchburg region between September 1998 and August 2012.

In an indictment returned July 24, 2014 by a Federal Grand Jury sitting in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke, the following have been charged:

• Edward Dennis Jones, 38, of Lynchburg, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, three counts of distributing cocaine and one count of illegal possession of a firearm.
• Bryce Lewis Carter, 29, of Lynchburg, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and one count of distributing cocaine.
• Carlos Demetrice Jackson, 28, of Amherst, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
• Jeroid Montezs Matthews, 36, of Madison Heights, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and two counts of distributing cocaine.
• Tony Sylvester Monroe, 40, of Evington, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
• Tyrone Edwin Lewis, 28, of Madison Heights, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
• Lateef Yusef Jones, 36, of Roanoke, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and attempt to distribute cocaine.
• Randall Aaron Falwell, 28, of Lynchburg, Va., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.

The investigation of the case was conducted by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Central Virginia Drug Task Force, the Virginia State Police, the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, the Lynchburg Police Department, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorney Craig “Jake” Jacobsen will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.