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Operator of in-home daycare convicted on drug, firearm charges

On Behalf of | Jun 3, 2022 | Drug Charges |

In-home daycare centers can shield many criminal activities from police detection. According to a release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a federal jury found that a daycare operation failed to provide such protection for a resident of Cumberland County.

The charges

According to information provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office, the defendant was charged with six felony drug and firearm offenses. He ran the drug operation from his home, where he also operated a daycare center.

The defendant was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and an unspecified quantity of THC, the intoxicating and addictive chemical in marijuana; he was also convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The investigation

On June 16, 2018, agents conducted a traffic stop of a Cadillac driven by a co-defendant as it left the apartment complex where the defendant lived. Agents found marijuana, cocaine and a loaded handgun with an extended magazine in the vehicle.

Agents then obtained a search warrant for the apartment occupied by the defendant. Upon execution of the warrant, agents seized more than $65,000, eight firearms, ammunition, and THC edibles. After obtaining a second warrant for a shed on the defendant’s property, agents found 65 pounds of marijuana.

Sentencing

The defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Anyone facing similar charges may wish to consult an experienced criminal defense attorney for an evaluation of the evidence, suggested defense strategy and, where appropriate, assistance in negotiating an acceptable plea agreement.