Norfolk, Va. – Suffolk resident Garth Salkey was sentenced Thursday to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.
Salkey pleaded guilty to charges on November 17, 2015. According to court documents, Salkey and his son Christopher planned to distribute heroin in Suffolk and Portsmouth from summer 2012 through spring 2015.
Salkey received large amounts of heroin from his supplier on a regular basis. After receiving the drug, he added chemical cutting agents to the heroin, cap the drug into capsules and sell it from the two residents he owned and other locations.
The 65-year-old has been convicted of drug crimes on three prior occasions.
According to court documents, four controlled purchases were made at Salkey’s Suffolk residence in April and May of 2015
Based on the controlled purchases, the Suffolk Police Department and federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) carried out a search warrant on May 20, 2015 at Salkey’s residence in Suffolk.
During the execution of the search warrant, Salkey threw about an ounce of heroin out of his bedroom window in attempt to hide it from law enforcement. Large amounts of heroin and packaging material used for dealing were recovered from the scene.
Agents also discovered 129 marijuana plants that belonged to Salkey’s son, Christopher. It is estimated Salkey and Christopher have distributed eight kilograms of heroin, while Garth Salkey alone was responsible for more than four kilograms of heroin.
