WILMINGTON, N.C. - A Wilmington man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for methamphetamine distribution and firearm charges.
According to court documents, Jeffory Jaelyn Lee, 31, was named in a Criminal Information filed on March 6, 2020 charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine; possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, aiding and abetting; possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; and, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes. On March 31, 2020, Lee pled guilty to all four counts of the Criminal Information.
According to the investigation, on Aug. 28, 2019, a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated a traffic accident on the shoulder of I-40 in Pender County, NC. Lee was a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the accident. A search of Lee’s vehicle found a case containing approximately 74.63 grams of actual methamphetamine. On Feb. 14, 2020, law enforcement officers in Wilmington searched Lee’s residence and found 205 grams of methamphetamine and other narcotics. In addition, a Glock.45 caliber firearm was found in close proximity to the narcotics.
This case is part of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration entitled “Operation Jellyfish." This investigation is focused on a drug trafficking organization operating in Eastern North Carolina and including New Hanover County.
This case is 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.
Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Pender County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Highway Patrol investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Murphy Averitt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-cr-00038-M.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
