NORFOLK, Va. – The last of three convicted drug conspirators, David A. Wheeler, 45, of Houston, Tex., was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to 262 months in prison for his role in a drug conspiracy involving the large scale distribution of cocaine and marijuana.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Wheeler was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Wheeler was previously convicted by a Norfolk federal jury on September 14, 2011.

            Co-conspirators Samuel Lloyd, 49, of Stone Mountain, Ga., and Earl R. Fuller, Jr., 49 of Virginia Beach, Va., were also convicted on September 14, 2011.  Lloyd was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison, and Fuller was sentenced on January 9, 2012 to life in prison.

            According to court records and evidence at trial, the three men brought into this and other areas thousands of pounds of marijuana and dozens of kilos of cocaine via tractor trailers and personal vehicles with secret compartments.  Millions of dollars connected to the enterprise have been seized by various law enforcement agencies.

            This case was investigated by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Virginia Beach Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Everhart prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

 

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