another two defendants sentenced in operation no quarter
RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court yesterday two defendants who were the targets of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation entitled “No Quarter” were sentenced. United States District Judge Terrance W. Boyle sentenced PEDRO GARCIA RUELAS, 60, an illegal alien residing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to 121 months imprisonment. In a separate but related case, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced MCCOY RICHARDSON, 31, of Pinetops, North Carolina to 150 months imprisonment followed by five years supervised release.
A Federal Grand Jury returned Criminal Indictments on October 25, 2011 and January 19, 2012, respectively, charging RICHARDSON and RUELAS. On April 10, 2012, RUELAS pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. On April 12, 2012, RICHARDSON pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base (crack) and a quantity of cocaine.
According to evidence presented in court, law enforcement agencies received information regarding the illegal drug activites of RUELAS. On June 7, 2012, a controlled purchase was arranged for the following day to buy eight kilograms of cocaine from RUELAS at his residence. RUELAS was detained during the course of the purchase. During a search of the residence, agents seized 7.9 kilograms of cocaine and $5,000. Based on the information law enforcement received throughout the investigation, RUELAS was responsible for trafficking 103.9 kilograms of cocaine to cocaine dealers in Craven County, North Carolina.
Also, according to evidence presented in court, law enforcement received information regarding the cocaine trafficking of RICHARDSON from 2006 to 2011. In January, 2011, three controlled purchases were performed in which RICHARDSON sold 1.6 grams and 3.8 grams of crack cocaine and 7.1 grams of powder cocaine. Including other information received during the investigation, RICHARDSON was found to be responsible for selling 522.85 grams of crack cocaine and 17 grams of powder cocaine in Pitt County, North Carolina. RICHARDSON’S sentence was enhanced due to his status as a career offender based on six prior convictions for selling cocaine.
Operation No Quarter is an ongoing drug investigation in which 80 individuals have been federally prosecuted to date.
Investigation of these cases were conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Greenville Drug Task Force, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry was the assigned Prosecutor. Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Clark Everett 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.
