Rodney Durrell Thomas, Drug Conspiracy, North Carolina 2018

Rodney Durrell Thomas, also known as ‘Lil Bruh,’ was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in a North Carolina drug conspiracy.

Raleigh, NC – In a federal court in North Carolina, United States District Judge James C. Dever III handed down a 13-year sentence to Rodney Durrell Thomas, 21, of Elm City, NC. Thomas, who was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and heroin, will serve 156 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

The case against Thomas was part of a larger Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) called ‘Tri County Hook Up.’ This operation resulted in the arrest of several defendants for outstanding federal and state charges in a coordinated warrant enforcement operation. The investigation focused on heroin and cocaine trafficking in Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties.

Thomas was named in an 11-count indictment filed on June 13, 2018, which charged him with a drug conspiracy running from August 1, 2017, until mid-June of 2018. The indictment included charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and heroin.

The investigation revealed that Thomas was part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed cocaine, heroin, and marijuana throughout Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson counties. Law enforcement recorded telephone calls where Thomas discussed the drug conspiracy with his co-defendants and made arrangements for further drug transactions.

Thomas sold 10 bricks of heroin on two occasions from his home in Elm City, NC. He frequently possessed firearms in connection with the drug conspiracy and received a firearm sentencing enhancement. Additionally, Thomas fled from law enforcement in a reckless manner and received a sentencing enhancement for reckless endangerment.

This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s ‘Take Back North Carolina Initiative,’ which emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to combat drug trafficking in the state.

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