ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A Temple Hills man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Armed drug and opioid dealers represent a toxic and deadly double threat," said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “They might be targeting the people of the Eastern District of Virginia, but we are targeting them and we will hold those apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
According to court documents, Roger Vincent, 42, conspired with others to distribute cocaine and heroin in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. While residing in Maryland, Vincent maintained a “stash" location in Washington, D.C., where law enforcement recovered cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia and a handgun that had been modified to fire fully automatically. Months later, Vincent negotiated the purchase of 10 kilograms of cocaine. Vincent was arrested in October 2018, after attempting to purchasing two kilograms of cocaine, which he intended to sell to generate the funds to purchase additional kilograms of cocaine. Upon his arrest, law enforcement recovered two firearms hidden in Vincent’s vehicle, including an AK-style pistol.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ben’Ary and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Lena Munasifi prosecuted 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 are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-440.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
