DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Virginia

For Immediate Release

Friday, September 7, 2018
G. Zachary Terwilliger
, United States Attorney

Heroin and Crack Cocaine Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and deal heroin and crack cocaine throughout Hampton Roads.

“Armed drug traffickers pose serious threats to the safety of our communities,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This investigation and prosecution would not have been possible absent the critical partnerships we have formed with our local and federal law enforcement partners. My thanks to the Norfolk Police Department and the ATF for their outstanding work on this case.”

According to court documents, Anthony Covil, 33, was a member of a drug-trafficking organization based in Chesapeake and in the past few years was responsible for distributing at least 700 grams of heroin, at least two kilograms of crack cocaine, and at least four kilograms of powder cocaine.  According to witnesses, Covil carried guns during some of those drug deals. Norfolk police officers arrested him during a March 2018 and recovered two bags of heroin, two bags of cocaine, 10 bags of MDMA, one bag of marijuana, and $300. During a recorded post-arrest interview, Covil confessed to dealing drugs and to serving as a heroin source of supply.

“This individual had little to no regard for the safety and welfare of others,” said Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division. “ATF and its partners work tirelessly to protect our citizens and remove these violent offenders from our streets. We are committed to this task and will continue to pursue those who would disrupt our communities and harm our citizens.”

Covil pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison when sentenced on December 10. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Kevin M. Comstock are prosecuting the case.

The Norfolk Police Department provided significant assistance in this investigation.

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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:18-cr-133.

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Washington Field Division