A massive narcotics conspiracy in Lynchburg, Virginia has been dismantled, and the ringleader has been sentenced to 27.5 years in federal prison.
Jermel Lawrence Storey, 45, a former Lynchburg resident who most recently resided in Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty in July 2022 to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute and distributing cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of a firearm (a short-barreled rifle) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Storey was held responsible for distributing more than 150 kilograms of cocaine into the Lynchburg area, a quantity valued at more than $4.5 million.
“Dismantling this massive narcotics conspiracy makes a significant impact on the entire Central Virginia area,” said United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “In collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, my Office continues its unyielding pursuit of criminals who traffic in drugs and guns and threaten the safety and security of our communities.”
“This sentencing should send a clear message to those who prey on our community that their actions will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema. “We know there is a clear connection between drug activity and violent crime, and this sentencing reinforces our community’s unwillingness to tolerate either. The Lynchburg Police Department recognizes that this outcome would not have been possible without the assistance of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents, between January 2016 and January 2021, Storey led and organized a widespread drug trafficking organization that imported large quantities of cocaine into the Lynchburg, Virginia area from Houston, Texas through Charlotte, North Carolina. Even after moving to Charlotte, Storey continued his drug-dealing conspiracy by directing his co-conspirators to meet him in Charlotte to collect the drugs and then to return to Lynchburg for sales throughout Central Virginia.
Storey possessed and used multiple firearms for protection and intimidation and made threats of violence to further his criminal enterprise, including using firearms on video calls and when people visited him in person in order to intimidate them. Additionally, when his co-conspirators did not comply with his demands, Storey threatened to harm them as well as their family members.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lynchburg Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and other law enforcement agencies worked together to dismantle the conspiracy and bring Storey to justice.
Related Federal Cases
- Jermel Storey, Cocaine Trafficking, Lynchburg VA, 2023 · Alabama
- Michelle Coppola, Theft of Public Money, Virginia 2023 · Kansas
- David [], Fentanyl Conspiracy, Texas 2024 · Connecticut
- Michael Tienping Tang, Exploiting Minors, Virginia 2019 · Alabama
- Will Thompson, Framework Unveiling, West Virginia 2024 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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