Nolly King, 36 of St. Croix, and Thaddeus Hendricks, 39, also of St. Croix, were sentenced Thursday in federal court for their roles in a cocaine distribution scheme tied to fugitive dealer Robert Klyvert, aka “Family.” King was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release; Hendricks received 12 months and one day, plus two years of supervision. Both were ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $100 special assessment.
Visiting Judge Anne E. Thompson handed down the sentences after both men pleaded guilty on January 29, 2019. King admitted to distributing crack cocaine, while Hendricks pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine. The cases are part of a broader federal crackdown on a narcotics network operating between Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with both defendants acting as couriers and mid-level distributors for Klyvert, who has since entered a guilty plea and awaits sentencing.
On December 31, 2016, King arranged to hand over a cache of crack cocaine to a confidential source in Orlando, Florida. According to court documents, the CS called King at approximately 9:45 a.m., and King instructed the source to wait 20 to 25 minutes. By 10:00 a.m., King emerged from his residence with a white plastic bag containing the drugs. The CS questioned the color of the crack, prompting King to show a sample. The substance, later confirmed by lab tests, weighed 884.18 grams and contained both crack and powdered cocaine.
Hendricks’ crime unfolded on January 15, 2017, when he flew from St. Croix to St. Thomas carrying a black backpack stuffed with 971.8 grams of cocaine. He met with a confidential source and requested a room at the Palms Court Hotel while waiting for his return flight. The CS handed Hendricks $22,000—payment for the drugs. Hendricks removed the cocaine from the backpack and placed it on the front passenger seat floor for inspection before checking into the hotel.
Later that day, Hendricks returned to St. Croix via Rohlsen Airport and was picked up by Robert Klyvert himself. The handoff confirmed the pair’s direct operational link in a tightly run drug pipeline stretching across the Caribbean and into Florida. Lab analysis confirmed the substance in Hendricks’ backpack was cocaine, sealing his conviction.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Melissa Ortiz prosecuted the case. Authorities say the convictions disrupt a key supply channel for crack and cocaine in the U.S. Virgin Islands and signal continued federal pressure on island-based trafficking networks.
Related Federal Cases
- St. Croix Man Gets 5 Years for Crack Cocaine Distribution · U.S. Virgin Islands
- Jose Luis Pacheco-Montes Gets 46 Months for Cocaine Scheme · Puerto Rico
- LA Woman Busted with 6 Kilos of Weed in the Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands
- St. Croix Woman Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Manufacturing · U.S. Virgin Islands
- Lakisha Abney Sentenced in Cocaine Import Scheme · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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