Two Detroit-Area Men Sentenced for Crack Cocaine Trafficking
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Quincy George, 36, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on November 16, 2020, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville to 18 years in federal prison by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer. This sentence follows George’s conviction on July 29, 2020, for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base or crack. Once released from prison, George will be on supervised release for a 5-year period.
A co-defendant, Larry Walker, 22, of Harrison Charter Township, Michigan, entered a plea on June 10, 2020, to conspiracy to distribute more than 280 grams of cocaine base or crack. On November 12, 2020, Walker was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Walker will also be on supervised release for 5 years following his release.
The investigation began in April 2019, when the Kingsport Police Department (KPD) and an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) identified George and Walker as sources of crack cocaine in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Law enforcement made several controlled purchases of narcotics from George and Walker. In August 2020, during a traffic stop by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, in which George was the driver of the car, KPD, ATF, the Vice and Narcotics Unit of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, and the DEA recovered nearly 90 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin, approximately 372 grams of powder cocaine, 374 oxycodone pills, and a small amount of marijuana, in a vacuum sealed container, hidden in a compartment of the dashboard.
“We have seen a large increase in the flow of dangerous narcotics out of Detroit into all parts of the Eastern District of Tennessee. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue its efforts to shut down this pipeline by vigorously prosecuting narcotics traffickers such as George and Walker,” said U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey. “The message is simple, wherever you’re from, you won’t be returning home until you’ve served a long stint in a federal prison.”
ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge, Toby Taylor stated, “The partnerships with the public safety departments and the U.S. Attorney’s office were crucial in reducing the potential for violent crime in this case.”
“The Kingsport Police Department appreciates the collaborative team effort that went into this investigation that resulted in these charges. Our department will continue to take drugs off our streets, especially individuals involved in large-scale drug distributions,” said Chief David Quillin, Kingsport Police Department.
The case was investigated by the Kingsport Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Martin represented the United States in court.
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