Rashawn Aki Simon, PCP Distribution Plot, North Carolina 2021

Related Federal Cases

Alphonso Lewis, Methamphetamine Distribution, North Carolina 2022 · New York
AUGUSTO ESPINDOLA-PINEDA, Cocaine and Marijuana Conspiracy, North Carolina 2016 · New York
Abdul Sanderlin, Methamphetamine Trafficking, North Carolina 2023 · New York
Cervantes-Sanchez, Poly-Drug Trafficking, North Carolina 2019 · New York
John Salisbury, Methamphetamine Trafficking, North Carolina 2022 · New York

Table of Contents

Rashawn Aki Simon, 46, Convicted of Large-Scale PCP Trafficking

A federal jury in New Bern, North Carolina has convicted a Wilmington man of a massive PCP distribution plot. Rashawn Aki Simon, 46, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectible amount of phencyclidine (PCP), a quantity of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of PCP and aiding and abetting.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Simon utilized connections for a large-scale drug trafficking organization in New York City to import various drugs into North Carolina for distribution over a number of years. In March 2019, Simon ordered multiple pounds of liquid PCP that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) along with Sampson County Sheriff’s Office intercepted while in-route to Wilmington, North Carolina where Simon was awaiting its delivery.

The DEA, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office coordinated a controlled delivery that ultimately led to Simon’s arrest. During the trial, testifying officers and agents stated uniformly that the seizure of PCP was the largest quantity of PCP that any of them had seen at one time. Conservatively, the quantity of PCP seized equated to thousands of individual doses.

Simon faces a sentence of up to life in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced during the September 7, 2021 term of court. The conviction is a significant blow to the large-scale drug trafficking organization that Simon was involved with.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are the investigating parties in the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Knott prosecuted and tried the case.

The case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of law enforcement agencies in the Eastern District of North Carolina in combating large-scale drug trafficking organizations. Simon’s conviction sends a strong message that those involved in such activities will be held accountable for their actions.

The case number is 7:19-cr-00074-FL. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:19-cr-00074-FL.