George E. B. Holding
CONTACT: 919/856-4530
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
OCDETF OPERATION “CHICKENFOOT”
RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E. B. Holding announced that on Wednesday, April 4, 2007, in Greenville, North Carolina, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard, sentenced TIMOTHY NICHOLAS RHODES in the matter of United States v. Timothy Rhodes, Case No. 7:04-CR-82-4H.
TIMOTHY NICHOLAS RHODES, 27, of Elizabethtown, North Carolina, received a sentence of 324 months imprisonment to be followed by a four year period of supervised release for the charges of distribution of cocaine and cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).
This federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation revealed that RHODES along with other defendants from the Elizabethtown area were responsible for the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Bladen County area from approximately 2000 through 2003. The investigation revealed also that RHODES often possessed firearms during the course of his drug activity. RHODES' codefendants Shawn Rabon Barr, Antwan Cromarie, Marcus Antonio Ripley, and Eric Mitchell were all previously sentenced to terms of federal imprisonment.
U. S. Attorney Holding pointed out that “OCDETF investigations, such as “Operation Chickenfoot” are a key tool in the federal government’s war on drug traffickers. These multi-agency collaborative efforts allow federal, state and local law enforcement to target the most serious drug traffickers in a particular area. Mr. Rhodes’ 27-year sentence is a warning to others who would pollute our communities with the poison of illegal drugs. This could happen to you, too!”
Investigation was handled North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Bladen County Sheriff’s Office, and the Elizabethtowh Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney J. Frank Bradsher prosecuted the case for the United States.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
