A Newport News resident, Cortez Dayshawn Bumphus, 33, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role as the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Hampton Roads. The sentencing follows Bumphus's conviction on multiple charges related to the organization’s activities.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Bumphus and his associates used Lux Auto in Newport News as their operational base. Illegal drugs were stored in vehicles throughout the business’s parking lot, and members of the group often carried firearms. Law enforcement agencies seized nearly $400,000 in drug proceeds and about 1,000 pounds of marijuana and contraband at major airports across the Mid-Atlantic region between August 2020 and August 2023.
“Cortez Bumphus led a massive drug trafficking organization, armed himself, and operated from the organization’s base of operations,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The substantial sentence imposed today reflects Bumphus’ central role in the conspiracy and the sheer scope of the organization’s criminal conduct. This prosecution underscores our commitment to protecting Virginians and deterring violent and organized criminal activity.”
“This sentence removes a career criminal from our streets and reinforces the FBI’s commitment to protecting Hampton Roads,” said Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “If you traffic drugs or use violence to protect your territory, we will find you, shut down your operation, and hold you fully accountable. Today’s result reflects the relentless work of the FBI Norfolk Safe Streets Peninsula Task Force, Virginia State Police, Newport News Police Department, and the Hampton Police Division."
The investigation revealed that leaders like Bumphus coordinated with suppliers outside Virginia to purchase large quantities of marijuana. Couriers were sent out-of-state with money to buy drugs before returning with shipments for distribution within Virginia. Thirty-seven individuals were charged as part of a larger indictment involving 127 counts.
Bumphus was convicted on July 30 for continuing a criminal enterprise; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana; conspiracy to launder money; being a felon in possession of a firearm; possessing a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime; maintaining premises for drug activity; and using communication devices for drug trafficking.
In addition to his prison term, Bumphus faces a monetary judgment exceeding $6 million. The court also ordered him to forfeit over $62,000 in cash along with designer goods and four firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt, Alyson C. Yates, and Luke Bresnahan prosecuted this case.
Further information can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or by searching Case No. 4:23-cr-54 on PACER through https://pacer.gov.
