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Press Release

Greenville Men Sentenced For Heroin Conspiracy

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 today, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced DERRICK HOWARD, 46,of Greenville, North Carolina, to 108 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.  HOWARD  previously pled guilty to this charge on August 4, 2014.  On December 17, 2014, Judge Boyle sentenced another member of the conspiracy, CHAUNCEY GREEN, 46, of Greenville, North Carolina, to 131 months in prison and 4 years of supervised release for the same charge.    HOWARD and GREEN are from New Jersey and moved to Greenville, N.C., in 2010 and 2011, respectively.   

The investigation revealed that between July 2011 and February 20, 2013, GREEN arranged for over 40 shipments of heroin to be brought from New Jersey to Greenville, N.C., for resale to street-level heroin dealers.  HOWARD delivered many of the shipments of heroin from New Jersey and was involved in many of the sales to the street-level dealers.  On January 23, 2013, the Greenville Regional Drug Task force used an informant to buy 150 bags of heroin (1.97 grams) from HOWARD.  Surveillance officers saw GREEN drive HOWARD to meet the informant and GREEN pick up HOWARD after the sale.  During a traffic stop on February 20, 2013, HOWARD was found to be in possession of 21 grams of heroin that he was transporting from New Jersey to Greenville.

HOWARD and GREEN received enhanced sentences as career offenders based on their multiple New Jersey convictions for distributing controlled substances. 

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Greenville Regional Drug Task Force.  The Greenville Regional Drug task force is comprised of officers from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Farmville Police Department, East Carolina University Police Department and the Winterville Police Department.  The federal prosecution was handled by Special Assistant United States Attorney Glenn Perry.  Mr. Perry is a prosecutor with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office.  Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb has assigned Mr. Perry to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force criminal matters.  Mr. Perry’s assignment to the United States Attorney’s Office has been made possible by grants funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission.

Updated July 14, 2015