The notice of related case filed in June and contained in electronic federal court records does not go into detail, but in the document Brice refers to Tony Reams and writes to the United States District Court in Raleigh, “These matters arise, in part, out of the same conspiracy, common scheme, and series of transactions, and therefore are related cases within the meaning of (Eastern District North Carolina) Local Criminal Rule 50.1 (a). Substantial duplication of work may be caused if the cases are heard by different judges.”

Brice refers to the indictments of Markell Wiggins, Bo’Neka McDaniel, Reginald Savage, Collin Whitaker Jr., Kevin Carswell, Dontee Brown and Shanta Hines.

The United States Attorney’s Office said last week the seven are reputed members of the Sex Money Murder Blood set.

The 15-count indictment against the seven 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.

Reams was charged with Herbert Lamont Cherry following a traffic stop on Interstate 95 the morning of March 13.

Both were later federally indicted.

The notice Brice filed does not name Cherry.

Meanwhile, Cherry appeared Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones Jr. in New Bern and pled guilty to count 1 against him. The second count against him will be dismissed at sentencing, which is scheduled for the November term of court, according to a minute entry in the federal court record.

The count Cherry will plead to says the amount of heroin involved in the conspiracy was 100 grams or more.

The count to be dismissed charges the men on March 13, the day of their arrest, knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.

Reams is scheduled for arraignment on September 12 in New Bern.