Sentencing of Antonio Tillmon, the only person to not take a plea in the case, will occur September 12 in Greenville.
Wednesday Howard set June 14 and 15 as sentencing dates.
At 1 p.m. on June 14 sentencings are scheduled for Lann Tjuan Clanton, Ikeisha Jacobs, Jason Boone and Wardie Vincent Jr. Vincent was the first to take a plea in the case.
The first sentencings on June 15 are scheduled at 9 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Greenville are for Adrienne Moody, Cory Jackson, Jimmy Pair Jr., Curtis Boone and Alaina Sue-Kam-Ling.
The remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing on June 15 at 1 p.m. in Greenville. They are Kavon Phillips, Crystal Pierce, Alphonso Ponton, Thomas Jefferson Allen II and Tohsa Rochelle Dailey.
According to previous reports gathered from documents contained in the federal court record their involvement in the conspiracy and background is as follows:
Clanton
A former correctional officer in Virginia and Weldon police officer
Number of Counts: 19
Mandatory minimum sentence: 90 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 13
Date of first operation: 22 Aug. 2013
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 55 kg cocaine; 60 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $3,000,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $41,350 cash; Rolex watch (value of $9,000)
Selected Additional Evidence
First defendant to participate in investigation; stated that he had conducted robberies of vehicles he stopped with money or drugs, and had stated during robberies, “We can do this two ways. You can hand it over right here or I can call a K9 and get a search warrant.”
FBI learned that he was paid by known criminals to take official police action in exchange for cash payments; assumed leadership role in the drug trafficking operation; recruited others for the DTO; told undercover agent that he was useful to her because he had police shirt and gun; committed extortion offense with visible firearm; attended interdiction class taught by Vincent on how to avoid law enforcement detection while transporting drugs for the DTO; carried firearm during Operation 15.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; carrying firearm during operations; knew others were carrying firearms during operations.
Jacobs
A former sergeant with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office, Weldon police officer, North Carolina correctional officer
Number of Counts: 20
Mandatory minimum sentence: 40 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 8
Date of first operation: 7 Nov. 2013
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 25 kg cocaine; 30 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $3,000,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $23,420 cash; Rolex watch (value of $2,750)
Selected Additional Evidence
Attended initial DTO recruitment meeting in uniform and in patrol car; assumed leadership role in the DTO; recruited others for the DTO; stated that for the past three years she had been transporting drugs and drug proceeds for a real DTO; attempted to broker a deal between two DTOs; at her request, the DTO paid for her to attend the 2014 North Carolina Narcotics Officers Conference so she could alert the DTO to sensitive law enforcement information she learned at conference; pulled out firearm in vehicle in Operation 4 and racked bullet into chamber; carried firearm in small of her back in Operation 12; attended interdiction class taught by Vincent on how to avoid law enforcement detection while transporting drugs for the DTO.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; carrying firearm during operations; knew others were carrying firearms during operations.
Jason Boone
A former captain with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office
Number of Counts: 21
Mandatory minimum sentence: 65 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 8
Date of first operation: 20 Feb. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 45 kg cocaine; 60 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $2,250,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $15,500
Selected Additional Evidence
Attended interdiction class taught by Vincent on how to avoid law enforcement detection while transporting drugs for the DTO.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; carrying firearm during operations; recruiting others for the DTO.
Vincent
A former detective sergeant with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office and Virginia correctional officer
Number of Counts before plea: 11
Mandatory minimum sentence before plea: 40 years
Number of operations including arrest operation: 8
Date of first operation: 19 Dec. 2013
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 45 kg cocaine; 50 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $2,750,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $18,500
Selected Additional Evidence
According to information from FBI, associates with known drug dealers; proposed and taught interdiction class to co-defendants on how to avoid law enforcement detection while transporting drugs for the DTO; drove load 2 vehicle in Operation 9; discussed how to recruit others, including a family member, for the DTO and expansion of the DTO to Virginia and New Jersey; was in possession of his NCSO badge on the day of arrest though he resigned from NCSO in April 2013.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; carrying firearm during operation on day of arrest, which he stated was given to him by Jackson.
Moody
A former North Carolina correctional officer
Number of Counts: 9
Mandatory minimum sentence: 40 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 6
Date of first operation: 19 Dec. 2013
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 25 kg cocaine; 30 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $2,750,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $14,600
Selected Additional Evidence
Asked member of the DTO to front her 10 kg of drugs so she could distribute them on her own; attended pre-operation meeting with members of the DTO during which location of drugs in load vehicle and firearms were discussed and indicated she would be carrying a firearm the following day.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; stated she was not carrying firearm but knew others were carrying firearms.
Jackson
A former deputy with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office
Number of Counts: 12
Mandatory minimum sentence: 65 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 7
Date of first operation: 20 Feb. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 45 kg cocaine; 50 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $2,250,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $14,000
Selected Additional Evidence
Instructed members of the DTO to watch their speed to avoid law enforcement detection during an operation; helped load tractor trailer with drugs in Operation 8; recruited Pair and Allen; was in possession of his NCSO ID card on the day of arrest though he left the NCSO in 2013.
Post-Arrest Admissions
None
Pair
A former lieutenant with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office
Number of Counts: 17
Mandatory minimum sentence: 65 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 6
Date of first operation: 20 May 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 20 kg cocaine; 60 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: None
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $11,500
Selected Additional Evidence
Carried firearm in Operations 8 and 15; drove load vehicle in Operation 16; recruited another defendant to join the DTO.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs; carrying firearm during operations; recruiting another defendant for the DTO.
Curtis Boone
A former Northampton County Sheriff's Office deputy
Number of Counts: 14
Mandatory minimum sentence: 65 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 6
Date of first operation: 24 Apr. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 20 kg cocaine; 50 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: $1,500,000
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $10,000
Selected Additional Evidence
Attended meeting with undercover agents, whom he believed to be members of the DTO, while working security at Northampton County High School in police uniform and with service weapon; present for discussion with undercover agents about recruiting more law enforcement officers for the DTO, including expanding outside North Carolina.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and drug proceeds; carrying firearm during operations.
Sue-Kam-Ling
A former North Carolina correctional officer
Number of Counts before plea: 7
Mandatory minimum sentence before plea: 40 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 3
Date of first operation: 20 Aug. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 30 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: None
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $6,500
Selected Additional Evidence
Passenger in load vehicle in Operation 12; carried a firearm in Operation 16 given to her by Tillmon; attended pre-operation meeting with members of the DTO during which location of drugs in load vehicle and firearms were discussed.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Doing something wrong but stated (not credibly in the court’s eyes) that she was just taking a road trip; carrying a firearm but stated (not credibly in the court’s eyes) that it was for personal reasons.
Phillips
A former North Carolina correctional officer
Number of Counts before plea: 7
Mandatory minimum sentence before plea: 40 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 3
Date of first operation: 20 Aug. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 30 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: None
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $6,500
Selected Additional Evidence
Helped unload drugs in Operation 12; passenger in load vehicle in Operation 16.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs and proceeds; carrying firearm the day he was arrested; stated (not credibly in the court’s eyes) that no one else had carried firearms until day of arrest.
Ponton
A former correctional sergeant in Virginia
Number of Counts: 6
Mandatory minimum sentence: 40 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 2
Date of first operation: 16 Dec. 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 20 kg heroin
Total amount of purported drug proceeds transported: None
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $2,500
Selected Additional Evidence
Carried firearm in Operation 13.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs; knew others were carrying firearms during operations; stated that day of arrest was the first time he carried a firearm.
Allen
A former sergeant and deputy in the Northampton County Sheriff's Office and former deputy in Halifax and Gates counties
Number of Counts: 4
Mandatory minimum sentence: 10 years
Number of operations not including arrest operation: 1
Date of first operation: 18 June 2014
Total amount of purported drugs transported: 20 kg cocaine
Total Amount of Purported Drug Proceeds Transported: None
Total bribe/illicit payments received: $2,000
Selected Additional Evidence
Informed the DTO of his ties to Russia, the former KGB, and the Russian mafia; offered to connect members of the DTO with criminal associates in Russia so the DTO could expand operations; formerly lived in Russia and wife is from Russia; repeatedly stated he wanted to recruit federal law enforcement officers to join the DTO; informed the DTO how to avoid law enforcement detection, including how to avoid GPS tracking through cell phones and advising that communications should be by text messaging only; made numerous incriminating statements in a subsequent interview to Halifax County Sheriff’s Office while claiming that he had been investigating the DTO, including that he had unsuccessfully tried to recruit law enforcement officers to join the DTO’s operations, that he was scared he would receive a target letter, that he had participated in federal crimes, and that he was requesting immunity from prosecution.
Post-Arrest Admissions
Transporting drugs; carrying firearms during operation in same manner as the day of arrest.
Documents were not included for Pierce or Dailey.
