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A Goldsboro man was sentenced April 20 to 216 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as aiding and abetting, according to a press release from the Department of Justice, Eastern District of North Carolina.

According to court documents, Tierea Demon Atkins, aka “Red Dot,” 24, a local leader of the Bloods gang in Goldsboro, was responsible for the distribution of over 22 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine between May 2018 and February 2020, stated the release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and began by conducting controlled purchases of crystal methamphetamine from individuals supplied by Atkins.

“Several of the controlled purchases took place at a residence on East Pine Street in Goldsboro, which was a known hub of operations for Atkins’ drug trafficking organization,” stated the release. “ATF then arranged for controlled purchases of methamphetamine directly from Atkins and his co-defendants. The investigation revealed that Atkins worked closely with Alexander Rickey Shaw, Jr., a/k/a ‘Ruger Red,’ who was previously sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment for his role in the methamphetamine trafficking.”

The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation, Carolina’s Ice Fall, which targeted large-scale methamphetamine dealers operating in and around Goldsboro. “OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks,” stated the release. To date, Operation Carolina’s Ice Fall has resulted in the prosecutions of 26 individuals for their role in methamphetamine distribution and other crimes.

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. The ATF, in conjunction with the Goldsboro Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted.

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