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Press Release
Press Release
Operation Sugar Hill Gang defendants receive more than a century of time in federal prison.
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that ANTONIO KEVIN MCKOY, 32, of Garland, NC, TONY CHEVALLIER, 40, of Clinton, NC, and JABARR RYEHEINE RUDOLPH, 39, of Clinton, NC were sentenced by United States District Judge James C. Dever, III. MCKOY was sentenced to life of imprisonment plus 5 years, followed by 6 years of supervised release. CHEVALLIER was sentenced to 360 months followed by 10 years of supervised release and RUDOLPH was sentenced to 240 months followed by 3 years of supervised release.
A federal jury found all three men guilty of Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute significant quantities of multiple controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine, and "Molly". Additional convictions were sustained for the distribution of various controlled substances and multiple firearm related charges.
The investigation giving rise to the charges faced at trial began in 2013. Multiple and extensive investigative techniques were utilized throughout this case. The evidence presented at trial detailed a significant drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) that was built and lead by ANTONIO MCKOY. The DTO maintained contacts with individuals throughout the Southeastern United States who supplied the drugs sold primarily within Eastern North Carolina. In addition to trafficking drugs, the DTO maintained a sophisticated apparatus that was used to launder the proceeds derived from drug sales. The evidence presented at trial showed a trucking company that MCKOY started in early 2016 was used to conceal the money collected in the drug business.
The following additional individuals were charged in relation to the drug conspiracy as part of Operation Sugar Hill Gang Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation and their sentences are listed below:
The case is a federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) criminal matter that was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the North Carolina Departments of Revenue and Emergency Management. Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Knott and Toby Lathan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.