New Bern Heroin And Marijuana Drug Trafficking Ring Members Sentenced To Federal Prison PDF Print E-mail
Federal Government
By Administrator   
Thursday, 20 December 2018 09:51
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that
over the course of the last week in federal court, before Chief United States District
Judge Terrence W. Boyle, multiple defendants have been sentenced in a large-scale
heroin and marijuana trafficking organization.
The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation 190, which was
named in memory of New Bern Police Department Officer Alexander
Thalmann. Officer Thalmann was shot and killed in the line of duty in March
of 2014 by associates of the defendants in this case. An Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local
cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary
tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations,
targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and
coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt
or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
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The defendants’ convictions and sentencings were the culmination of a multiyear
investigation into a heroin trafficking ring operating in and around New Bern,
North Carolina, and led primarily by two men: DAMIEN LAMONTE BROWN and
CALVIN MARK WILSON. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms,
and Explosives (ATF) and members of the New Bern Police Department learned that
BROWN, WILSON, and others had been involved in ordering heroin from New York
City and arranging it to be brought down in multi-kilogram amounts over a period of
several years. BROWN and WILSON then supplied various mid and lower-level
dealers in and around New Bern with the heroin for sale.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted over twenty controlled
purchases of heroin from organization members between November 2016 and July
2017, along with traffic stops and other encounters in which they confirmed that
members possessed drugs and guns. Based on that investigation, ATF then obtained
authorization for a federal wiretap of cellular phones associated with WILSON and
two co-defendants. As a result, agents intercepted calls and texts over a three-month
period in late 2017 showing that WILSON was directing the supply and distribution
of kilogram-levels of heroin from New York to New Bern, NC. Based on intercepted
calls, agents were able to stop and arrest WILSON and two co-defendants traveling
back from New York with 3lbs of marijuana and 7 bars of heroin cutting agent.
ATF made arrests of many of the defendants on October 24, 2017, along with
searches of five residences associated with the organization. Through the life of the
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investigation, law enforcement has seized over a kilogram of heroin and twenty
firearms.
The defendants include:
 DAMIEN LAMONTE BROWN, aka “Dame,” 36, of New Bern, NC.
BROWN was convicted in August 2018 by a federal jury of conspiring to
distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one hundred (100)
grams or more of heroin, possession with intent to distribute one
hundred (100) grams or more of heroin, and possession of a firearm by
felon. BROWN was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment.
 DERRICK LAMONT DAVIS, aka “Gucci,” 35, of Kinston, NC. DAVIS
was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to
distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of heroin. DAVIS was
sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment.
 DWAYNE LEE STALLINGS, aka “Smiley,” 35, of Cove City, NC.
STALLINGS was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and was
sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment.
 NASSAR TURE MACK, 37, of New Bern, NC. MACK was convicted of
possession of a firearm by felon and was sentenced to 24 months’
imprisonment.
 MARIO CORRELLUS BARGNEARE, aka “Rio,” 39, of New Bern,
NC. BARGNEARE was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess
with the intent to distribute one hundred (100) grams or more of heroin
and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
BARGNEARE was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment.
 DEREK JACQUAN WIGGINS, aka “DJ,” 38, of New Bern, NC.
WIGGINS was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the
intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, several counts of distributing
heroin, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 120
months’ imprisonment.
 ROY JAMES NOLON, aka “Henny,” 21, of New Bern, NC. NOLON
was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to
distribute a quantity of heroin and possession of a firearm in
furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced to 96
months’ imprisonment.
 MICHAEL QUALEEK VELASQUEZ, aka “Moo Moo,” 23, of New
Bern, NC. VELASQUEZ was convicted of conspiring to distribute and
possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and possession
with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. He was sentenced to 96
months’ imprisonment.
 LAMAR HOSEA WIGGINS, aka “LB,” 39, of New Bern, NC.
WIGGINS was convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to
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distribute a quantity of heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon.
He was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment.
 LASHAWNNA JAQUETTE MCCOTTER, aka “Flossy,” 47, of New
Bern, NC. McCOTTER was convicted of conspiring to possess with the
intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and possession with intent to
distribute a quantity of marijuana. She was sentenced to 30 months’
imprisonment.
 LATREKA DENISE HARDESTY, aka “T,” 27, of New Bern, NC.
HARDESTY was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with
the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin. She was sentenced to time
served.
 ADRIENNE MICHELLE HALL, 35, of New Bern, NC. HALL was
convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to
distribute a quantity of heroin. She was sentenced to time served.
 CAROLINE LOUISE HUGHES, 28, of Alliance, NC. HUGHES was
convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to
distribute a quantity of heroin. She was sentenced to 5 years
probation.
Three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced over the course of the next few
months. They are:
 CALVIN MARK WILSON, aka “Bali,” 34, of New Bern, NC. WILSON
was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to
distribute one thousand grams or more of heroin and a quantity of
marijuana and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of
marijuana. WILSON faces a sentence of not less than 20 years’
imprisonment.
 WILLIE FRANK JAMES AHERN, aka “White, White Bread, Dribs,”
39, of Bayboro, NC. AHERN was convicted of conspiring to distribute
and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and several
instances of distributing quantities of heroin. AHERN faces up to life
imprisonment.
 WALTER NAJEE GREEN, III, 21, of New Bern, NC. GREEN was
convicted of distribution of a quantity of heroin and faces up to 30 years’
imprisonment.
The investigation also led to 8 individuals being charged by the state for drug
offenses. Those charges remain pending.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms & Explosives (ATF), New Bern Police Department, Jacksonville Police
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Department, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, the
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office,
Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Trent Woods Police Department, Carteret County
Sheriff’s Office, Morehead City Police Department, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office,
and with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant United States Attorney Laura S.
Howard prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
 
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