FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MONDAY - March 3, 2008

WILMINGTON MAN SENTENCED TO 175 MONTHS FOR HEROIN DISTRIBUTION

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E. B. Holding announced that in federal court Chief United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced BRIAN JACKIE HARPER, 28, of Wilmington, North Carolina, to 175 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and distribution of heroin.

A federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on September 27, 2007. On December 14, 2007, HARPER pled guilty to the offenses, which occurred from September, 2005, to October, 2006. The investigation, an East Force Operation entitled Man O War, centered around the distribution of a substantial amount of heroin from New York to the New Hanover and Onslow County areas. The operation involved several controlled purchases in Wilmington and Onslow along with the execution of a search warrant in Wilmington.

HARPER has prior convictions for trafficking in cocaine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, and possession with intent to deliver heroin.

Investigation of the case was conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Onslow county Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Timothy Severo. Special Assistant United States Attorney Severo is a prosecutor with the New Hanover district Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission and the New Hanover County Commissioners.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.