NORFOLK, Va. - Christopher Salkey, 31, of Suffolk, pleaded guilty today to charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in the summer of 2012 up to May 2015, Salkey conspired with his father and two others to distribute heroin in Suffolk and Portsmouth. Each week Salkey (who has a previous conviction for selling narcotics) and his father would receive a significant quantity of heroin to which they would add a cutting agent and then cap it up for distribution. During the course of the conspiracy it is estimated they distributed at least eight kilograms of heroin. On May 20, 2015, the Suffolk Police Department and federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Salkey’s residence in Suffolk where they recovered a quantity of heroin and packaging material used for distribution. Additionally, agents also discovered a marijuana grow operation with 129 marijuana plants. Law enforcement later learned Salkey had hidden two firearms in the residence, which agents later recovered.
Salkey was charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 18, 2015. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 18, 2016. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:15cr135.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
