RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond heroin dealer has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in distributing the deadly opioid. Marcus Freeman, 29, of Richmond, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, according to a recent press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The sentencing comes after Freeman pleaded guilty to the charges on June 1 of this year. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.

The investigation into Freeman’s activities began on December 3, 2015, when law enforcement officers observed a dark-colored Nissan disregard a stop sign. The officers initiated a traffic stop and noticed that Freeman appeared nervous and began to move his right hand toward the center console.

Freeman was ordered to show his hands and he complied, placing both hands on the steering wheel before moving his right hand toward the center console again. One of the officers gained control of Freeman’s left arm and pulled him out of the vehicle. While being pulled out, Freeman was still attempting to reach into the vehicle near the center console.

Once the officers removed him from the vehicle, they placed him into investigative detention and performed a protective sweep of the vehicle. During the sweep, they found a semi-automatic pistol with a 30-round magazine, two large rolls of cash totaling over $10,000, and a digital scale with a powdery residue in the center console.

Freeman was subsequently arrested and taken to a hospital, where an X-ray revealed that he had a foreign object in his rectum. Lab reports later confirmed the object to be a package of approximately 15 grams of heroin.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.

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