NORFOLK, Va. – In a shocking turn of events, Vernon Michael Norvell, 43, and his wife Cheron Johnson, 31, of Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to various drug, tax, and money laundering crimes. Norvell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering, while Johnson pleaded guilty to money laundering and making a false statement in a tax filing.
According to court documents, Norvell was a kilogram level cocaine dealer who regularly conducted transactions at his home in the Crystal Lake neighborhood of Portsmouth, at his cake business, ‘G’s Cake Shop – Cake For All Occasions’ in Virginia Beach, and at a Food Lion parking lot off Airline Boulevard, in Portsmouth. One confidential source regularly purchased ounce quantities of cocaine for $1,350 to $1,500 over the course of several years. Another source purchased in excess of five kilograms, often paying $46,000 per kilogram. At times, Norvell was accepting between $60,000 and $70,000 a week for cocaine.
On five occasions from October 2014 to July 2015, the DEA, in partnership with the Chesapeake and Portsmouth Police Department, conducted controlled purchases of cocaine and crack from Norvell. The real estate purchase was one way the couple concealed the cocaine proceeds. While the home appraised for $315,000, they purchased it for $160,000, yet they made over $80,000 in payments before and after the closing, $14,000 of which was in cash.
In addition to the drug and money laundering crimes, from 2012 to 2014, Norvell and Johnson reported a combined adjusted gross income of $157,916, yet during that same period they deposited $926,854, including $338,860 in cash, into nearly a dozen bank accounts, including one offshore account located in Curaçao. From January 2011 through August 2015 the couple deposited $468,500 in cash into their accounts.
Both Norvell and Johnson will be sentenced on June 22. Norvell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, while Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse and Joseph E. DePadilla.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:16-cr-48 (Johnson) and 2:16-cr-49 (Norvell).
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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