RALEIGH – A 45-year-old Lumberton man and a 48-year-old Maxton man were sentenced recently in federal court for trafficking drugs in Robeson County.
Tushombi Take Wallace, of Lumberton, was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison and five years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine, cocaine base (crack), heroin, and crystal methamphetamine, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of North Carolina.
Wallace pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2020, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack), and 500 grams or more of cocaine (count one); and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (count four).
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Wallace sold cocaine, cocaine base, heroin, and crystal methamphetamine to a confidential informant on several dates from Dec. 19, 2017, through Jan. 29, 2020.
G. Norman Acker III, acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
Joel Armando Rodriguez, of Maxton, was sentenced June 9 to 12 1/2 years in prison for trafficking cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2020, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented to the court, Rodriguez regularly trafficked drugs from Texas to North Carolina. Robeson County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Division investigators conducted a traffic stop of Rodriguez on Oct. 7, 2019. As a result of the traffic stop, he was found in possession of about one kilogram of cocaine.
The investigation also determined that Rodriguez had distributed a significant amount of crystal methamphetamine in Robeson County.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fayetteville Police Department and the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Lemmon prosecuted the cases.
The effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation. The OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
