The seven indicted are reputed members of the Sex Money Murder blood set, the attorney’s office said in the statement.
The 15-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on June 27.
The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin; distribution and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and aiding and abetting; possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin; distribution of a quantity of heroin; and felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants are:
Markell Desettan Wiggins, aka Kell, aka Killa, 31
Bo’Neka Sarell McDaniel, 27
Reginald Savage, aka Whimp, 46
Collin Lee Whitaker Jr., aka BJ, 23
Kevin Dwayne Carswell, aka K Rock, 30
Dantee Brown, aka Tay, 35
Shanta Venita Hines, 27
Of the seven charged, only Hines was allowed pretrial release. Orders of detention filed in the electronic court record are currently sealed.
Investigation of this case was a multi-jurisdictional effort conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tar River Regional Drug Task Force, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Pinetops Police Department, Scotland Neck Police Department, Tarboro Police Department, Rocky Mount Police Department and the Nash County Sheriff’s Office.
The federal prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dena King.
Count 1 is a conspiracy indictment which alleges the defendants beginning around 2012 until the indictment knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated and agreed with each other and other persons, known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.
The indictment alleges the quantity involved with respect to Wiggins and McDaniel is 100 grams or more.
The indictment attributes a quantity of heroin to Savage, Whitaker, Carswell, Brown and Hines.
Count 2 alleges around August 4, of 2014, Wiggins and Whitaker were aiding and abetting each other, and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of heroin.
Count 3 alleges around January 22 of 2015 Whitaker did knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
Count 4 alleges around July 27, 2015, Wiggins, Carswell and Hines were aiding and abetting each other and knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute and distribute a quantity of heroin.
Count 5 alleges around August 28, 2015, Brown knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 6 alleges around September 3, 2015, McDaniel knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 7 alleges around September 21, 2015,Wiggins knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 8 alleges around December 1, 2015, Whitaker knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 9 alleges around April 8, 2016, Brown knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 10 alleges around September 6, 2016, Wiggins knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 11 alleges around September 12, 2016, McDaniel and Savage aided and abetted each other by intentionally possessing with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin.
Count 12 alleges around September 15, 2016, McDaniel and Savage, aided and abetted each other, knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute and distributing a quantity of heroin.
Count 13 alleges around September 22, 2016, McDaniel and Savage aided and abetted each other, knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute and distributing a quantity of heroin.
Count 14 alleges around October 3, 2016, Wiggins knowingly and intentionally distributed a quantity of heroin.
Count 15 alleges Wiggins, who was previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, did knowingly possess in and affecting commerce, a firearm.
Arraignments are scheduled next month and October at the federal courthouse in New Bern.
