Justin Lee Myers, Drug Trafficking & Money Laundering, North Carolina 2023

GREENVILLE – A Tabor City man, Justin Lee Myers, 34, has been sentenced to 168 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering operation in Columbus County.

The sentencing was announced by United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr.

Myers was charged as part of a 22-count indictment filed on November 19, 2017, naming eight defendants. He pleaded guilty on February 5, 2018, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack), heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The investigation, which began in December 2008, revealed that Myers' drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated in Columbus County, with a manned checkpoint at the 'Sandpit' area, where approximately 25 mobile homes were located. The checkpoint was used to protect the area from rival drug dealers and to serve as a lookout for law enforcement.

Wire intercepts, confidential informants, and surveillance confirmed that the Myers DTO primarily operated in Columbus County. From February 2017 to May 2017, CIs were utilized to conduct a series of controlled purchases from members of the DTO. Witness statements and subsequent wire intercepts determined that Myers supplied the heroin, cocaine, crack, and marijuana, in addition to directing his co-conspirators. The wire intercepts also revealed that Myers and others had attempted to launder the proceeds of their drug trafficking.

Myers purchased several vehicles, including a 2014 Corvette for $67,634 and a 2014 Porsche for $77,983, claiming his income as legitimate as the owner/operator of Monte Cutz Barber Shop.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the United States Attorney's Office's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The case was investigated by the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Wilmington Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bradford Knott.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/tabor-city-man-sentenced-14-years-prison-drug-trafficking-money-laundering-offenses