FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
TUESDAY - March 10, 2009
MAXTON MAN RECEIVES PRISON TIME FOR DRUG CHARGE
RALEIGH - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court here yesterday United States District Judge W. Earl Britt, sentenced MADISON CHEEK, 21, of Maxton, North Carolina, to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.
A Criminal Information was filed on October 10, 2008. On December 1, 2008, CHEEK pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
This is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into an established narcotics distribution ring based in the St. Pauls, North Carolina, area known as the Hunt Organization.
According to the evidence presented, CHEEK began in the Hunt Organization, a narcotics ring led by CHEEK’s cousin, Shane Hunt, as a runner transporting a total of approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine. CHEEK’s residence was also the location used to conduct drug transactions, in which an estimated 15 kilograms of cocaine were sold. CHEEK moved up in the organization and eventually began selling cocaine for his cousin, totaling an estimated 60 kilograms of cocaine.
Mr. Holding commented, “It is gratifying to see that programs, such as OCDETF, are working. This case is an example of how these programs benefit the communities as we work to clean up neighborhoods of drug dealers and other criminals and to dismantle organizations which bring illegal drugs into our communities.”
Shane Hunt was previouslycharged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to 390 months’ imprisonment on April 16, 2008.
Investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Wells 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.
