One of two men court documents show was tied to a reputed Rocky Mount gang leader said in a letter to a federal court judge he wants to withdraw his guilty plea in a case related to a Halifax County Sheriff’s Office stop in which 47 bricks of heroin and a pound of marijuana was seized.

The letter was filed on December 6 and on Tuesday the motion filed by Yacine Rahmani seeking to withdraw his guilty plea and have new counsel appointed was entered.

The co-defendant in the case — Bryan Walter Riccaldo — is scheduled for sentencing in Raleigh before District Judge James C. Dever III on January 31.

In October Riccaldo appeared before Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to counts 1 and 2 against him.

Rahmani had already entered a guilty plea to charges lodged against him that in count 1 the two men knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, and fentanyl and in count two they aided and abetted one another to possess and distribute heroin and marijuana. 

The amount attributable to Riccaldo is a kilogram or more of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

The amount attributable to Rahmani is 100 grams or more of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and 400 grams or more of heroin.

But in a handwritten letter dated December 1, Rahmani told Dever, “ … My lawyer used my lack of understanding English to mislead me and to make me sign paperwork that he did not explain to me for what purpose it serves. He used fear by telling me that I’ll get twenty years of prison if I plead not guilty. He convinced me that I had no other choice than pleading guilty and signing a guilty plea with charges of a crime that I did not commit.”

Rahmani said he was just a driver for his co-defendant and had no knowledge of the drugs or a gun found in the car at the time of the stop. “ … The only thing I was aware of was the marijuana, but my lawyer told me that I’m responsible for what was in the (car) even if I’m innocent because I was driving the car.”

He said he was interviewed by federal agents and told them everything he knew and answered their questions truthfully.

“Your honor, I wanted to plead guilty to only what I ‘m responsible of,” the letter said. “But my lawyer said that’s not possible and I have to plead guilty to both of my counts.”

Rahmani said he has been locked up a year now for a quantity of drugs that he had never seen or heard about in his life. “I’m a victim of bad investigation and (an) ineffective lawyer. Being away from my family and my country made me feel so hopeless and helpless and pushed me to give up my rights without fighting.”

He said he doesn’t deserve a harsh punishment. “ … With all due respect and my sincere apologies I would like to withdraw my guilty plea and get another appointed lawyer because my actual lawyer he did me unfairly and is not working on my best interest. Please take my request in consideration. You are holding my future life between your hands.”

Previous court documents show the two men are tied to Tyrone “Ty Nitty” Foreman, who is the reputed leader of a United Blood Nation set and along with others have also been federally indicted.

Rahmani and Riccaldo were stopped last year by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office on a return trip to New York after supplying Foreman with heroin in Rocky Mount, according to a criminal complaint filed in Foreman’s case.

The sheriff’s office stopped them for speeding.

The portion of the criminal complaint regarding the traffic stop said a canine conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle and the dog noted the presence of narcotics.

The search of the car resulted in the seizure of 47 bricks of heroin and approximately 1 pound of marijuana. 

Authorities located the narcotics inside a Vittles Vault airtight pet food container located in the backseat of the vehicle. Authorities also seized a firearm from the vehicle.

The mens’ cell phones were seized along with a hand-written ledger which included the name Nitty Boy, a nickname for Foreman.

The criminal complaint said investigators suspect that the 47 bricks were being returned due to an issue with the supply.

During a recorded jail phone call Riccaldo spoke with an unknown man about the trip and admitted law enforcement caught him with 47 bricks. He also told the man he was on his way back to New York when he was caught. 

Riccaldo claimed during the phone call that Foreman set him up.