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Press Release

Another Defendant Sentenced In OCDETF Operation

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina

RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court on March 6, 2013, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced KENNETH HARRIS, 25, of Wilmington, North Carolina, to 120 months imprisonment followed by 3 years supervised release.

On May 8, 2012, a Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment charging HARRIS. On December 3, 2012, HARRIS pled guilty to distributing a quantity of heroin.

According to the course of the investigation, on September 26, 2011, the Wilmington Police Department made an undercover purchase of a quantity of heroin from HARRIS. In addition, two codefendants, Linwood Nelson and Kathy Mishoe, were transporting heroin to HARRIS and another co-conspirator for distribution in the New Hanover County area. Between November, 2011, and February, 2012, the group imported more than 16,500 bags of heroin from New Jersey.

On March 26, 2012, the Wilmington Police Department stopped a rental car in which Mishoe was the driver and Nelson a passenger. The vehicle was returning from New Jersey to Wilmington, North Carolina. Detectives found 7,500 bags of heroin which were to be delivered to HARRIS and another co-conspirator for distribution. Both Nelson and Mishoe were charged in the conspiracy and were sentenced on January 13, 2013, and January 29, 2013, respectively. Nelson was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and Mishoe received a 36-month sentence.

This case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled WoofPack, investigating importers and multi-level distributors of heroin, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, and gang activity associated with this distribution. Thus far 31 persons have been sentenced in federal court as a part of this operation.

Investigation of this OCEDTF case is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (Safe Streets Task Force); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Explosives; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations; the Wilmington Police Department; the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenville Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Severo represents 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.

Updated July 14, 2015