NORFOLK, Va. – A 38-year-old Portsmouth man was sentenced Tuesday to 27 years in prison for a multi-year conspiracy to distribute narcotics up and down the East Coast.
According to court documents, Deric Jevon Twitty was involved with a Mexican drug cartel and operated an extensive drug operation over the court of two years.
Drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana were distributed up and down the East Coast in cities like Philadelphia, New York City, Charlotte, and all throughout Hampton Roads.
To protect himself from the risks of drug trafficking, Twitty worked as a middle-man. One of his co-conspirators made nearly $300,000 in cash deposits in 22 accounts in six months. The accounts, some of which were in Matamoros and Nogales, Mexico, were often emptied within 24 hours of receiving the funds.
Special agents from the DEA arrested Twitty on May 3, 2016, and recovered 2.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, over a quarter kilogram of heroin and marijuana, a stolen Glock 21 semi-automatic firearm, several cellular telephones, a money counter, and $18,745 in cash.
In addition to his 27 year sentence, Twitty was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $3.37 million, which represents the proceeds of the offense.
