Federal court records show Sterling Moody was taken into custody Wednesday and faces a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said this morning, “I am aware of the investigation into this individual but am not at liberty to discuss any details. My investigators and narcotics agents did have a role.”

An initial hearing was scheduled for this morning in the Greenville annex of United States Court before Magistrate Judge Kimberly A. Swank.

In a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of United States Court, the DEA said during July through this month, agents and task force officers conducted several interviews of a cooperating source who, pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States Attorney's Office, had pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine.

The cooperating source, the DEA said, “Is cooperating with law enforcement in hopes for leniency at his sentencing.”
In the interviews, the cooperating source reportedly provided information regarding an extensive drug trafficking relationship with Moody who, from 2009 to late 2013, was allegedly a multi-kilogram cocaine customer of the drug trafficking ring of which the source was a member.

The source, according to the complaint, estimated that between 2010 and October of 2011, at the discretion of his superior, the source made approximately 15 to 20 multi-kilogram cocaine deliveries to Moody and picked up millions of dollars of drug proceeds from him.

The complaint says the source told agents that after the spring of 2012 his superior started driving the cocaine to Moody himself and that the source and the superior broke contact.

Around December of last year, the complaint says, the source ran into his superior at a Greensboro Chinese restaurant and that the superior asked the source to call Moody and translate their conversation.

The source learned during the phone call with Moody that his superior had been delivering cocaine to Moody. The superior did not speak English well so he needed to translate when issues arose.

This year, on September 2, agents instructed the source to place a recorded call to Moody to arrange a meeting with another cooperating source. Moody agreed to speak to source 2.

On September 4, in the presence of agents, source 2 placed a call to Moody and arranged for an in-person meeting on September 7 at Moody's residence on Lee Lane in Weldon.

Later that day, under the surveillance of agents equipped with recording devices, source 2 and a source 3 met with Moody at his residence.

Source 3, according to court records, was introduced as a cocaine supplier. Moody reportedly negotiated a multiple kilogram purchase from source 3 and agreed to call source 3 after checking with clients to determine to the quantity of the purchase.

On Monday, source 3 received a phone call from Moody reportedly inquiring about the deal and indicated he wanted to purchase 10 kilos and agreed on the price of $34,000 per kilogram.

While this call was not recorded, source 3 immediately reported the call to agents, who arranged for future calls to be recorded.

During a recorded call, Moody reportedly indicated he could purchase 2 kilograms to start with and then purchase larger quantities. During the phone call the complaint indicates that Moody referenced his long drug trafficking relationship with source 1 and his reliability to pay for any cocaine that could be provided to him on credit.

Source 3 agreed to deliver the cocaine to Moody on Tuesday. On the day prior to delivery, agents and officers applied for, and were granted, a search warrant for Moody's residence.

On Monday evening, agents directed source 3 to reschedule the deal until Wednesday.

Moody did not answer the phone.

Moody called on Tuesday to inquire about the status of the delivery. The delay, Moody reportedly told source 3, caused him to have to inform associates from out of town who had planned to arrive in Weldon Tuesday.

On Wednesday agents instructed source 1 to place a recorded call to Moody, who expressed concern regarding the delay and the conditions source 3 was placing on the transaction. Source 1 vouched for source 3 and Moody reiterated his reputed longtime history with source 1 and agreed to continue the transaction with source 3.

On Wednesday, agents established surveillance at Moody's residence and directed source 3 to place a recorded call stating they were nearing his residence to make the delivery at exit 180 in the northbound lane of Interstate 95. Moody drove to the destination in a cream-colored pickup. From there source 3 directed Moody to follow them to a remote area near the Virginia state line east of the interstate.

Their meeting on a dead end dirt road was recorded by a device used by source 3. Moody inquired about the location of the cocaine and the quantity, to which source 3 responded there were 4 kilos.

Moody showed source 3 a bag of money and said he had enough to buy the 2 kilos and could access the money needed to buy the other.

Moody then reportedly stated he wanted to buy 10 kilos, to which source 3 said they would have to depart to retrieve.

Shortly afterwards agents conducted a traffic stop and arrested Moody, seizing $68,000 in his vehicle.

A search of his house on Lee Lane resulted in the seizure of a large amount of United States currency, an official count which is pending, and two firearms, a semi-automatic .40-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber revolver.

In the conclusion to the complaint, the DEA notes, “The information contained in this affidavit reveals that beginning no later than on or about 2009, until September 10, 2014, Moody conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. I believe there is probable cause for the issuance of the criminal complaint and the arrest of Moody.”