Charlottesville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Charge

Charlottesville, VIRGINIA – A Charlottesville man, who distributed crack cocaine throughout the Charlottesville Region, pled guilty yesterday in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Ricco Jamel Harris, 35, of Charlottesville, pled guilty yesterday to one count of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base.

According to evidence presented at yesterday’s guilty plea by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and University of Virginia Third-Year Law Student Elizabeth Douglas, Harris distributed crack cocaine throughout Central Virginia between late 2012 and November 2015. The evidence established that Harris was a major supplier of cocaine in Charlottesville. He also supplied the drug to members of a cocaine distribution ring operating out of the Culpeper area and who’s members were previously prosecuted in Federal court.

During the time frame at issue, agents with the Jefferson Area Drug Task Force [JADE] made a series of controlled buys from Harris and seized over 75 grams of crack cocaine during a traffic stop. Ultimately it was determined that Harris was responsible for the distribution of over 4 kilograms of crack cocaine between late 2012 and November 2015.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Jefferson Area Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the City of Charlottesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ronald M. Huber and University of Virginia Third-Year Law Student Elizabeth Douglas prosecuted the case for the United States.