25th Operation High Tide Defendant Sentenced for Drug and Gun Crimes
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man, who was the 25th defendant associated with Operation High Tide, was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in trafficking firearms and selling heroin.
According to court documents, in 2017, Shon E. Melton, 32, of Portsmouth, was attributed with trafficking 19 firearms, including a concealable short barrel shotgun, assault rifles, and stolen guns, one of which was a Ruger with a scope and laser modification. Firearms trafficked by Melton include stolen guns connected to burglaries in the London Oaks neighborhood of Portsmouth, sold within days or weeks of the home invasions.
Operation High Tide is a large-scale narcotics trafficking and firearms investigation that has resulted in the recovery of over 65 firearms, over 7 kilograms of cocaine, nearly a kilogram of crack cocaine, over 625 grams of heroin, over 100 grams of fentanyl, 75 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 12 pounds of marijuana, 621 grams of hash oil, 24 grams of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), 120 grams of methamphetamine, and over $560,000 in cash. The narcotics seized have a street value of nearly $1 million.
To date, Operation High Tide defendants have been sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years:
|
Name, Age Hometown |
Charges |
Sentence |
|---|---|---|
|
Brian D. Best, 34 Virginia Beach |
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine |
92 months |
|
Antisha Carrington, 25 Virginia Beach |
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana |
33 months |
|
Portia L. Carrington-Green, 46, Chesapeake |
Transferring a Firearm to a Prohibited Person |
12 months and one day |
|
Kawanta D. Epps, 40 Norfolk |
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin |
46 months |
|
Glenn Farris, 36 Norfolk |
Using a Communication Facility to Commit, Cause, and Facilitate the Distribution of Controlled Substances |
30 months |
|
Armad J. Gatling, 26, Portsmouth
|
Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Union Fraud |
216 months |
|
Corey L. Jones, 50 Portsmouth |
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime |
240 months |
|
Dominic D. Jones, 26 Portsmouth |
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime |
60 months |
|
Malcolm D. Jones, Sr., 45 Portsmouth |
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Distribution of Heroin, Fentanyl; Distribution of Acetyl Fentanyl |
246 months |
|
Malcom Jones, Jr., 25 Portsmouth |
Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin |
156 months |
|
Razagin K. Lee, 49, Elizabeth City, North Carolina |
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine |
140 months |
|
Shon E. Melton, 30 Portsmouth |
Distribution of Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Possession of an Unregistered National Firearms Act Firearm |
60 months |
|
Hasheed Mills, 25 Portsmouth |
Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Distribution of Cocaine |
60 months |
|
Gary Norfleet, 52 Chesapeake |
Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Felon in Possession of a Firearm |
151 months |
|
Jermaine C. Parker, 35 Chesapeake |
Distribution of Fentanyl; 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime |
240 months |
|
Takieon J. Perkins, 36, Chesapeake |
Felon in Possession of a Firearm |
180 months |
|
Raewkon A. Pierce, 24 Portsmouth |
Distribution of Cocaine |
140 months |
|
Corey S. Reed, 38 Norfolk |
Distribution of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin |
156 months |
|
Tajh Rodgers, 29 Portsmouth |
Robbery Affecting Commerce; Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and 3 counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime |
336 months |
|
Johnnie Ross, 29 Portsmouth |
Distribution of Fentanyl |
60 months |
|
Jameel M. Simmons, 37 Portsmouth |
Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime |
123 months |
|
Jelami M. Smith, 43 Portsmouth |
Distribution of Heroin |
24 months |
|
Robert B. Spruill, 39 Chesapeake |
Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess Methamphetamine |
60 months |
|
Paul C. Voskanyan, 36 |
Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine |
144 months |
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Renado Prince, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin G. Bird, Andrew C. Bosse, John F. Butler, Megan M. Cowles, Sherrie Capotosto, Kevin M. Comstock, Joseph E. DePadilla, William B. Jackson, Darryl Mitchell, and William D. Muhr prosecuted the cases referenced above.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information on the Melton case are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-145. Other Operation High Tide cases can be found by searching for Case Nos. 2:19-cr-80, 111, 138, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 154, 155, 170, 193, and 2:20-cr-15.
