WILMINGTON - United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that in federal court, Chief United States District Judge Terrence Boyle sentenced JULIO NAJERA, 25, of Sampson County to 144 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
A federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of North Carolina returned a three-count Indictment against NAJERA on Dec. 12, 2018, charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine. NAJERA pled guilty to all three counts on April 10, 2019.
On the morning of November 9, 2017, law enforcement officials with the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 57 grams of crystal methamphetamine from NAJERA at NAJERA’s residence in Sampson County. Later that morning, law enforcement executed a search warrant of NAJERA’s residence. During the course of the search, law enforcement found an additional 283 grams of crystal methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and $3,979 in U.S. Currency from the earlier controlled purchase.
This is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). This case is part of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) OCDETF operation “Fall of the House of Usher" with cooperation from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. This investigation is focused on a drug trafficking organization operating in the Sampson and Duplin County areas of North Carolina.
This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. 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.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the DEA, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office and Duplin County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
