FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY - March 4, 2009
MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICKER FROM OXFORD RECEIVES LIFE IMPRISONMENT
WILMINGTON - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court yesterday Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox, sentenced DAVID MICHAEL JONES, 43, Of Oxford, North Carolina, to a life term of imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.
A two-count Criminal Information was filed on June 5, 2008, charging conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. On July 21, 2008, JONES pled guilty to the charges. On March 18, 2008, Drug Enforcement Administrative agents (DEA) performed a traffic stop on a tractor trailer in Nashville, Tennessee and discovered five kilograms of cocaine hidden in the truck. Upon further investigation, it was learned that the cocaine was going to JONES in Oxford. It was arranged for the cocaine to be delivered to JONES and another individual. Upon delivery, the counterfeit cocaine was recovered, along with $43,775 in currency from JONES’ residence.
Further investigation revealed that beginning in 1996, JONES had used his trucking company, AJAC Transportation, Inc., to facilitate the transportation of multi-thousand pound quantities of marijuana from Mexico via Texas to multiple states including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio and Georgia. From 1996 to 2001, JONES admitted to transporting between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds of marijuana. In 2001, JONES began transporting drugs for another individual. It was also learned that JONES’ trucking company transported between 15 and 18 loads of marijuana per year for approximately six years. Each load ranged between 1,500 and 9,000 pounds, totaling 250,000 pounds of marijuana since 2001. During a six- to nine-month period from 2004 to 2006, JONES also transported 342 kilograms of cocaine per week, totaling 10,944 kilograms. The majority of the cocaine was delivered to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York, New York. JONES would receive $50,000 per load, giving $20,000 of that to the driver. The remaining money was transported back to Texas.
Mr. Holding commented, “The sentence handed down by the Court reflects the seriousness of the offense. The defendant had a major illicit supply chain established to carry the tons of drugs throughout a multitude of states. Agents with the DEA working the case exhibited exceptional skills in bringing this kingpin to justice and we commend their diligent work.”
Rodney G. Benson, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, “This defendant received a very significant sentence because of his role in the distribution of 10,944 kilograms of cocaine and 250,000 pounds of marijuana, mostly along the Eastern Seaboard of the US. DEA and our law enforcement partners are committed to making our communities safer and will continue to target the most sophisticated criminal enterprises who seek to wreak havoc on our society.”
Investigation of the case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Granville County Sheriff’s Department, Oxford Police Department and Durham Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Ontjes served as prosecutor for the government.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.
