The United States Department of Justice announced in a press statement this evening a federal jury found Antonio Tillmon, a former Windsor police officer guilty of drug, firearm and bribery charges stemming from his participation in trafficking narcotics and narcotics proceeds for a large-scale drug trafficking organization.
His trial began last week. His sentencing is scheduled for August 8. Electronic court records filed on the federal level do not yet contain information reflecting the guilty verdict and the statement did not indicate his possible sentencing range.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John Stuart Bruce of the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
Tillmon, 33, was found guilty of multiple counts of conspiring to distribute controlled substances, attempting to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to use and carry firearms in relation to drug trafficking offenses, using and carrying firearms in relation to drug trafficking offenses and federal programs bribery.
The charges stemmed from a large scale undercover investigation into allegations of systemic law enforcement corruption in Northampton County.
The evidence at trial established Tillmon accepted $6,500 from undercover FBI agents posing as drug traffickers in return for transporting a total of 30 kilograms of heroin from North Carolina to Maryland over three separate occasions between August 2014 and April 2015.
On each occasion, Tillmon carried his law enforcement badge and a firearm to secure the illicit narcotics.
Tillmon was prepared to use his badge and fake documentation to evade drug interdiction in the event the transport vehicle was stopped.
The evidence also showed Tillmon agreed to participate in a fourth drug transport, to which he brought five firearms, including an assault rifle accompanied by three magazines of ammunition.
Fourteen other defendants, 13 of whom were law enforcement or correctional officers, were charged in the drug trafficking and firearm conspiracies – the law enforcement and correctional officers were also charged with federal programs bribery.
Those defendants all pleaded guilty to various offenses and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp, whose officers received the initial tips in the case said this evening, “The Rockfish 15 placed a stain on the Roanoke Valley. With the recent court proceedings, the Roanoke Valley continues to move forward and law enforcement is working together to make our community a safer place to live. Operation Rockfish is in the past but it is something we all must remember.”
Tripp said, “I’m beyond being proud of the law enforcement officers that we have working in the sheriff’s office, even those who have retired and those who continue to work. This was one of the battles we have won against the war on drugs.”