VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach police called it the single largest meth bust in the department's history, and now federal prosecutors are handling the case against Alonzo Harden.
Harden, 54, from Minnesota, is accused of being part of a multimillion-dollar drug ring spanning several states and territories, including Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico, according to federal court records. He's charged with drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm.
Previous coverage: Man charged in Virginia Beach's largest meth drug bust denies he had drugs in car
Harden spoke to WTKR News 3 Reporter Leondra Head in January, denying the accusations against him. A couple of months earlier, on Nov. 7, police said officers and drug-sniffing K-9s stopped Harden on Bonney Road in Virginia Beach after a K-9 alerted them to drugs in his car.
"I didn't have any drugs in my car ma'am. I keep telling you that," Harden said.
However, federal documents outline how Harden and others are facing charges for the bust. Police say they found 156 pounds of methamphetamine worth over $350,000 in Harden's car — the biggest meth drug bust in the department's history.
Police said a K-9 detected the presence of illegal drugs, and authorities say they found two large bags in the trunk with the drugs inside.
Authorities called it a major blow to meth distribution in the region.
Harden's lawyer has recently filed a motion requesting to suppress certain evidence found during the investigation.
"There was no probable cause. There wasn't even a traffic stop. I booked a hotel room in the parking lot where I was sitting and they came up harassing me," Harden said.
Legal analyst Sonny Stallings, who is not connected to this case, says federal prosecutors sometimes take over a case when they want to get a deal in place.
"Federal has mandatory minimum sentences on these drug cases. The state does not have mandatory—mandatory being the key word—so if you're facing that, then you want to make a deal to get off that mandatory minimum 10 years, or whatever the punishment may be. So that's a big reason the feds pick these cases up: to put more heat on the defendant, to cooperate, and cooperate means talking," Stallings said.
Harden is currently being held in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail.
This article was researched, reported, and written by a WTKR News 3 journalist. AI was used to minimize typos and ensure style continuity.
