CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a major blow to the opioid epidemic, a notorious crack cocaine trafficking ring has been dismantled, with its leader and two associates sentenced to prison for their role in the operation.
Anthony Jarbar Pettus, 35, of Gastonia, was sentenced to 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his leadership role in the conspiracy, which trafficked between 840 and 2,800 grams of crack cocaine in and around Gaston County from 2007 to 2017.
Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. handed down the sentence, which was announced by U.S. Attorney R. Andrew Murray for the Western District of North Carolina.
Pettus was aided in his operation by James Michael Hardin, 54, of Gastonia, who received a 120-month prison sentence and five years of supervised release for his role as a courier. Albert Hankerson, 65, of Gastonia, was also a courier for the operation, and was sentenced to 72 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The investigation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Division, and assisted by ICE/Homeland Security Investigations and the Gastonia Police Department, uncovered a vast network of narcotics, drug paraphernalia, at least 11 firearms, and more than $25,000 in cash.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, which targeted national and regional drug trafficking organizations, resulted in the seizure of significant assets and disruption of the targeted criminal organization.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte led the prosecution of the case.
The defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 846 and 841(a)(1).
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat the opioid epidemic and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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