NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Six people all admitted guilt for their roles in dealing huge amounts of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in Hampton Roads.
Nearly a year ago, more than 120 law enforcement officers executed a major takedown called Operation Cookout that resulted in 35 arrests and the recovery of 24 firearms, 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 30 kilograms of heroin, five kilograms of cocaine and more than $700,000 in cash.
The number of arrests grew to 46. Of those 46 people, 38 pleaded guilty and eight are scheduled to go to trial.
The following people from the Hampton Roads region have pleaded guilty:
- David Brandon Porter, 30, from Hampton
- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute (PWID) 280 grams + cocaine base and 500 grams + cocaine
- Russell Patrick Johnson, 50, from Suffolk
- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and PWID 1 kg + heroin, 400 grams + fentanyl, and 500 grams + cocaine
- April Loredo, 29, from Newport News
- Pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking
- Carmen Suhay Miranda, 42, from Newport News
- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and PWID 100 grams + heroin and cocaine
- Felix Omar Rodriguez-Roig, 40, from Newport News
- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and PWID 100 grams + heroin and cocaine
- Kerry Christian, 54, from Hampton
- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and PWID 500 grams + cocaine
According to a court indictment, the trafficking operation began in March 2016.
The people who were a part of the conspiracy all held roles that included armed drug distribution, while assuming and carrying out different roles such as a supplier, packager, transporter, financier, distributor, and facilitator throughout the life of the alleged drug trafficking ring.
The indictment also says that the defendants and unindicted co-conspirators would purchase and receive narcotics from suppliers in Mexico, California, and New York, and would arrange for heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base to be transported to and within the Eastern District of Virginia using hidden traps in privately owned vehicles, couriers, and semi-trailers, trucks, and recreational vehicles.
The co-conspirators used at least 94 different telecommunication devices such as pre-paid cell phones, Facebook, and encrypted communications apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp to conduct the day-to-day operations, including negotiating prices, and arranging locations for purchasing and selling the drugs.