FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY - April 29, 2009
DUPLIN COUNTY RESIDENT RECEIVES 10.5 YEARS ON DRUG CHARGE
WILMINGTON - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox sentenced, LANDON SMITH QUINN, 28, of Duplin County, North Carolina, to 126 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.
On September 24, 2008, a Federal Grand Jury indicted QUINN for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. On December 9, 2008, QUINN pled guilty to the charge.
On October 24, 2007, investigators with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant on the residence of a co-defendant in Duplin County. During the search, officers found 33 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that QUINN was responsible for distributing more than 64 kilograms of methamphetamine from 2004 until the time of her arrest.
Mr. Holding commented, “Methamphetamine is one of the most additive and destructive drugs we deal with. I am pleased that the Court’s sentence deals firmly with one of the most serious methamphetamine cases prosecuted by this office.”
Attorney General Roy Cooper stated, “Our SBI agents are working hard to bust drug rings that bring crime and violence into our communities. Cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement is the key to fighting back against the drug dealers and traffickers.”
Rodney G. Benson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division commented on the sentencing, "This organization's methamphetamine trafficking activities posed a significant threat to the quality of life in Eastern North Carolina. This individual will spend well-deserved time in prison and the community that he impacted is much safer. I commend our local law enforcement counterparts who played a crucial role in the success of this investigation."
This case was brought as part an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled Fire Ants, investigating importers and multi-level dealers of Mexican-made methamphetamine being imported into Eastern North Carolina.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration-Wilmington, Duplin County Sheriff Department, Department of Community Correction and the Beaulaville Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo and Assistant United States Attorney Brian S. Meyers represented the Government. Mr. 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 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.
