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Press Release

Previously Convicted Felon Indicted on Heroin Conspiracy Charges

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

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Virginia Beach man with conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to allegations in the indictment, criminal complaint, and related court-documents, Demetress Bratton, 37, was arrested in March 2018 attempting to access his storage unit in Virginia Beach. Earlier that day, a Virginia Beach drug dog gave a positive alert for drugs at the storage unit, and a search warrant was obtained. During the search, detectives recovered two bags of an off-white substance that were sitting on a hydraulic press. One of the bags contained roughly 37 grams of heroin, and the other contained roughly 55 grams of a cutting agent used to increase the amount of heroin. Detectives also recovered a money counter, a Gucci bag containing $20,000 cash, two handguns, two rifles, and several cell phones. Later, when Bratton arrived at his storage unit and was arrested, law enforcement recovered $1663 cash and bags of heroin and a cutting agent from his vehicle. 

If convicted, Bratton faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Scott W. Hoernke, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and William B. Jackson are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-123.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

Contact

Joshua Stueve
Director of Communications
joshua.stueve@usdoj.gov

Updated August 8, 2018

Topics
Drug Trafficking
Opioids