Newport News Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Conspiracy

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Salvatore Lopiccolo, age 35 of Newport News Va., pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Distribute Analogues, Cocaine, Cocaine Base, Methylone, Marijuana, Psilocybin and drug paraphernalia.

Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Magistrate Judge Douglas Miller in Newport News.

Lopiccolo was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2013.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 when he is sentenced on July 24, 2014 in Norfolk, VA.

In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, the defendant was responsible for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a variety of drugs and drug analogues from Bonsai Pipe and Tobacco. Multiple controlled purchases of cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, methylone, psilocybin, drug analogues and drug paraphernalia were made from Bonsai, the defendant and Bonsai employees.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Virginia State Police Tri-Rivers and Peninsula Task Forces the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the York County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting 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.