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Date: 10-23-2019

Case Style:

United States of America v. Charles Lee Avery

Case Number: 3:19-CR-36

Judge: Henry E. Hudson

Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Henrico County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: G. Zachary Terwilliger

Defendant's Attorney:


Call 888-354-4529 if you need help finding a drug distribution (cocaine, Heroin, fentanyl) criminal defense lawyer in Richmond, Virginia


Description:




Richmond, VA - High Society Hit Squad Member Sentenced to Prison

A member of the criminal street gang H$2X (an acronym for “High Society Hit Squad”) was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

“We have taken a stand in Petersburg against the scourge of drug trafficking and related violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We have surged federal investigative and prosecutorial resources to Petersburg to root out criminal activity, and our partnerships with Chief Miller and the Petersburg Police, the ATF, along with other law enforcement entities are critical to this effort. Today’s sentencing of Miles “Buc J” Johnson should serve as a very clear indicator of what happens when you turn your back on your community, choose the easy way out of dealing drugs, and destroy the youth you claim to want to support.”

In 2017, in response to an increased level of violence that was taking place in Petersburg, ATF agents and members of the Petersburg Bureau of Police, began an investigation into the trafficking of firearms and narcotics, as well as other violent criminal activity. A group of individuals, who were later identified as members of H$2X, were suspected of being involved in trafficking narcotics and firearms.

“This investigation highlights ATF's partnership with Petersburg Police and our commitment to making our communities safer,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “Firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime. When firearms are diverted to the illicit market, they often become tools of the trade for criminals. If you traffic in firearms or use firearms to commit other crimes, ATF is fully dedicated to bringing you to justice.”

Miles Johnson, aka “Buck J”, 39, is a member of H$2X. According to court documents, between March 2017 and February 2019, the investigation revealed that Johnson had distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin in the Petersburg metropolitan area and elsewhere.

“My top priority is the safety of the citizens of Petersburg and cleaning up our streets,” said Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police. “As shown in this case, my department works closely with our law enforcement partners to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and keep dangerous drugs out of our community. If you violate the law or if you harm our community, the Petersburg Police will use every tool at our disposal to see that you are held accountable.”

In March 2019, one dozen individuals, including Johnson, were indicted on various firearms and drug trafficking charges.

Below is a table containing information on defendants charged in this investigation.

Name, Age


Hometown


Charge(s)


Sentence

Armon Lee, 26


Warfield


Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon; Distribution of Cocaine


120 months

Terrell Dean Johnson, 30


Petersburg


Distribution of Cocaine


57 months

Titus Maurice Lee, 44


Petersburg


Distribution of Cocaine; Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon


192 months

Autrelle Malik Waddell, 22


Petersburg


Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; Sale or Disposal of a Firearm to a Convicted Felon


108 months

Miles Owanga Johnson, 39




Petersburg


Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl


151 months

Charles Lee Avery, 44




Petersburg


Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon


96 months

Tyrell Jakahree Allen, 26




Prince George


Distribution of Cocaine


36 months

John Pruitte


Chesterfield. VA


Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Heroin


18 months



This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Kenneth A. Miller, Director of Public Safety, Petersburg Bureau of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea-Miller and Kenneth Simon are prosecuting the cases.

Outcome: Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Distribution of Cocaine
(1) IMPRISONMENT 192 MONTHS; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS; S/A $100
Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; In accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d), incorporated by Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c)) and in accordance with Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 - Forfeiture Allegation
(2-3) IMPRISONMENT 192 MONTHS EACH COUNT, TO BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS EACH COUNT, TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; S/A $100 EACH COUNT
Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; In accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d), incorporated by Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c)) and in accordance with Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 - Forfeiture Allegation
(6) IMPRISONMENT 192 MONTHS, TO BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS, TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; S/A $100
Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Distribution of Heroin and/or Fentanyl; In accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d), incorporated by Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c)) and in accordance with Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 - Forfeiture Allegation
(8) IMPRISONMENT 192 MONTHS, TO BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS, TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; S/A $100
Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1) - Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; In accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d), incorporated by Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c)) and in accordance with Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 Forfeiture Allegation
(10) IMPRISONMENT 120 MONTHS, TO BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS, TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; S/A $100
Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1) - Possession of a Firearm/Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; In accordance with Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(d), incorporated by Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c)) and in accordance with Title 21, United States Code, Section 853 Forfeiture Allegation
(12) IMPRISONMENT 120 MONTHS, TO BE SERVED CONCURRENTLY; SUPERVISED RELEASE 3 YEARS, TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; S/A $100


10/22/2019 107 Minute Entry for proceedings held before District Judge Henry E. Hudson (Court Reporter Halasz, OCR): Sentencing held on 10/22/2019 for Miles Johnson (3) Count 1s. Defense Exbibits 1 and 2 (character letters) submitted by counsel. Amended sentencing recommendation placed on the record by the parties. Sentence imposed: IMPRISONMENT 151 MONTHS; SUPERVISED RELEASE 5 YEARS; S/A $100. Defendant remanded to custody (rpiz) (Entered: 10/22/2019)

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