Ten people have been sentenced in federal court after a yearlong investigation into a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking operation in Durham, North Carolina, the Durham County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday, October 19. The investigation was led by the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force together with the sheriff's office, and the defendants were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.

Source: CDL Life, reporting CBS 17 and the Durham County Sheriff's Office

Collectively, the ten defendants received 61 years and six months in federal prison. The longest sentences went to Khuram Choudhry, 17 years, and Kevin Johnson, 17 years, followed by Shazad Khan, 10 years; Jamaal Robertson, five years and six months; Dwight Chandler, four years and three months; Shance Bostic, three years; Jerrell Green, two years and six months; Jason Chase, two years and four months; Wendy Rizo-Bodden, two years; and Matt Morton, seven months.

Source: American Truck Drivers, reporting the sheriff's office announcement

10defendants sentenced in federal court
61 years 6 monthscombined federal prison time
24.5 kgcocaine seized in the investigation (54 lb)
2.5 kgfentanyl seized (about 5.5 lb)

A tractor-trailer at the centre of the case

A key seizure in the investigation was a tractor-trailer stopped in New Mexico carrying 54 pounds of cocaine and five and a half pounds of fentanyl, CBS 17 reported. In total, investigators seized 24.5 kilograms of cocaine and 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl during the yearlong operation. For trucking readers, the case is a reminder that drug networks move product in commercial trucks — and that a load found in one state can unravel a network in another.

Source: CDL Life, reporting CBS 17

"Taking 10 dangerous drug traffickers off our streets — including repeat violent offenders who put law enforcement lives at risk — makes Durham County safer," Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said. "Collectively, these defendants received more than six decades of federal prison time, which demonstrates our unwavering commitment to addressing drug trafficking and violent crime to protect everyone in our community."

Source: American Truck Drivers, quoting Sheriff Clarence Birkhead

"If you traffic drugs in our communities, the FBI will find you, we will dismantle your operation, and you will be held fully accountable," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. Davis said the task force's yearlong operation removed significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from the pipeline and brought ten offenders to justice.

Source: CDL Life, quoting FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis