RALEIGH - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that yesterday in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced MARCUS ANTONIO LUCAS 42, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina to 72 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
LUCAS was named in a five-count Indictment filed on February 6, 2019 charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin from Jan. 24, 2018 until February 9, 2018; distribution of a quantity of heroin; distribution of a quantity of heroin, aiding and abetting; and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, aiding and abetting. On May 2, 2019, LUCAS pled guilty to the conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, aiding and abetting, charges.
According to the investigation, LUCAS was a part of a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Law enforcement utilized a confidential informant and undercover officer to make several controlled buys of multiple bricks of heroin from LUCAS. One brick of heroin consists of 50 individual bags or dosage units. On February 9, 2018, officers attempted to stop LUCAS’ vehicle after he traveled to Henderson, North Carolina. LUCAS led officers on a chase in Nash County, North Carolina. Officers had to deploy stop sticks in order to get LUCAS to stop. LUCAS eventually jumped from his car and fled on foot. LUCAS was apprehended and officers located eight bricks of heroin, approximately 400 individual dosage units, in his car.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Office’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement. : https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/tbnc.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tar River Regional Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Dena King represented the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
