Raleigh Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Leading Cross-Country Cocaine Operation
Raleigh, NC – In a harsh verdict, Lawrence Levon Jones, age 45, of Raleigh, was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison for his role as a leader of a Raleigh-based drug organization that sourced cocaine from Los Angeles, California, and Newark, New Jersey.
Jones was convicted by a federal jury of drug trafficking and firearms offenses in December 2023. He has eight prior felonies, including seven drug trafficking offenses and one conviction for felon in possession of a firearm.
“This operation – which seized nine guns, over a hundred kilos of narcotics, and over three-quarters of a million dollars from a prolific drug trafficker – is a perfect example of our enforcement strategy,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are partnering with Raleigh Police to bring federal tools to dismantle the trans-national drug trafficking networks touching our Capital City.”
Law enforcement agents determined that Jones regularly traveled to Los Angeles and Newark, picked up money from conspirators who were holding for him, and purchased large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. Couriers transported the drugs to the Raleigh area.
On July 22, 2020, law enforcement in Texas stopped one of these couriers traveling eastbound from California and seized 400 pounds of marijuana and three kilograms of cocaine from a hidden compartment in the back of the truck that had been constructed to look like a large stack of lumber. That same day, agents arrested Jones when he arrived at his stash house in Raleigh. Inside the home, agents found 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 138 grams of crack, 2 kilograms of marijuana, hundreds of ecstasy pills that contained methamphetamine, two handguns (one stolen), over $99,000 in cash, and five-kilo presses.
The prosecution of Jones was a part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Other defendants associated with Jones pled guilty to drug trafficking and or firearms offenses and received the following sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III:
– Tyrone Bragg, of Raleigh, pled guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms charges and received a sentence of 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release;
– Calvin Lamar Kelley, of Keysville, Georgia, pled guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release;
– Wesley Kimball Kelly, of Atlanta, Georgia, pled guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and received a sentence of 35 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release; and
– Several other defendants received similar sentences for their roles in the conspiracy.
Related Federal Cases
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Washington
- Amgen Inc. $71M Settlement · Washington
- Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Marijuana Ring Busted · North Carolina
- Election Day Sabotage Foiled · Washington
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
