Newport News Coke Kingpin’s Associate Gets 20 Years

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Another cog in a major Virginia cocaine operation is headed to federal prison. Marcus Davis, 37, of Newport News, was sentenced today to 20 years – 240 months – for his involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy and attempting to derail the federal investigation.

Court records detail Davis as a key associate of Marvin O’Neal Carter, 50, the ringleader of the operation who already received a 27-year (324 months) sentence on November 2, 2017. Davis operated as a street-level dealer, peddling heroin directly from Carter’s 39th Street garage. But his crimes didn’t stop there. He actively assisted Carter in concealing a massive shipment: 54 kilograms of cocaine delivered on October 20, 2016. The conspiracy stretched beyond Virginia’s borders, involving individuals from Canada and California.

The operation wasn’t just about moving weight. Agents observed a sophisticated unloading operation at a garage leased by Carter. Michael Stephen Kuna, 42, of Canada, allegedly controlled traffic while the cocaine was offloaded from a tractor-trailer, with assistance from Hilario Rodriguez, 50, and Daniel Rodriguez, 49, both of California. The cocaine was hidden in a compartment beneath the trailer. Following the unloading, Kuna returned with duffel bags later found to smell of bulk currency. A search of the garage and trailer uncovered the 54 kilograms of cocaine, nearly $1 million in cash stacked in $5,000-$10,000 bundles, a firearm, heroin, additional cocaine, and another $49,000 in a safe.

But Davis’s attempts to evade justice didn’t end with the unloading. After being questioned by federal agents in May 2017, he penned a letter to an uncharged member of the conspiracy – a clear attempt to obstruct the ongoing investigation. This act of interference added to his sentence. The entire network is now behind bars. Michael Kuna received 12 years (144 months) and the Rodriguez brothers were sentenced to 10 years (120 months) and 13.5 years (162 months) respectively.

The sentencing was announced jointly by Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy Doherty-McCormick, DEA Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder, FBI Special Agent in Charge Martin Culbreth, Newport News Police Acting Chief Michael C. Grinstead, Hampton Police Chief Terry L. Sult, and Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney Anton A. Bell, following a hearing before U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. The prosecution was handled by Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross.

This case serves as a stark reminder that those involved in large-scale drug trafficking will face severe consequences. Details of the case, including court documents, are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia website and through PACER, Case No. 4:16-cr-76. Grimy Times will continue to follow this and other federal cases as they unfold.