John Mickey Harris, JR., Heroin Distribution, North Carolina 2018

Raleigh – A Wilmington man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a heroin distribution ring in the Wilmington area.

JOHN MICKEY HARRIS, JR., 30, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, and felon in possession of a firearm.

The investigation began in October 2016, when the Wilmington Police Department Gang Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Unit started looking into a group responsible for distributing significant amounts of heroin in the Wilmington area.

Between October 2016 and January 2017, several undercover purchases of heroin were made from HARRIS at the direction of law enforcement.

On April 11, 2017, law enforcement stopped a car in which HARRIS was a passenger and found a small quantity of heroin. A search of a residence associated with HARRIS in Wilmington turned up 16 grams of heroin and ammunition.

During the investigation, the FBI discovered that after his arrest, HARRIS directed someone to dispose of a 9mm handgun in a retention pond at the Campus Edge Apartments. The New Hanover County Fire and Rescue dive team located the handgun with the aid of a large magnet.

The handgun was later confirmed to have been used in other crimes. At the time of his arrest, HARRIS had a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

As part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative, implemented by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, this case highlights the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation was conducted by the Wilmington Police Department Gang Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy M. Severo handled the prosecution of this case for the government.

HARRIS was sentenced to 120 months of imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. The case is part of the ongoing efforts to reduce heroin distribution and related violence in the Wilmington area.