Wilmington-based drug and gang investigation results in sentences for 18 defendants

Eighteen people have been sentenced in multi-year, multi-jurisdiction drug investigation centered in Wilmington, according to the U.S. Attorney Office.

Representatives from the office reported the details of a gang-related heroin/fentanyl conspiracy at a Friday morning press conference at the New Hanover County Courthouse.

“The purpose of the investigation was to get the worst of the worst,” said acting U.S. Attorney G. Norman Acker, III. “We wanted to know who will make a difference if we get them off the street."

The investigation, dubbed Operation Tiny Toons, took place beginning in 2017 and focused on the Gangster Disciples, including one of the largest suppliers of heroin and fentanyl in the Wilmington area.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo, who was the lead prosecutor for the case, detailed drug-related criminal activity that has taken place over the years, including the murder of one of the targets of the investigation in Greensboro in May 2017, a high-speed chase in Wilmington in March 2017, and an incident where a helicopter tracked a suspect who was attempting to flee on a motorcycle.

One of those with the lengthiest sentence is Darion Graham of Wilmington, who investigators say flushed a large quantity of heroin down the toilet and was detained leaving the bathroom. The 31-year-old was sentenced to about 30 years in prison. Latwon James, 40, was sentenced to 24 years in prison and was found to have continued to sell drugs while under federal supervised release, according to Severo. Kayla Johnson, who fled from a traffic stop in Wilmington and ultimately crashed into another car, was sentenced to 7 years.

Severo described the investigation as "dismantling the organization." He also said that investigators are continuing the work they started.

“There is help for those who want to stop engaging in this life,” he said. “For those who remain, know that we are preparing another billboard just like this one with those who want to take the place of these defendants.”

The attorneys also discussed the importance of working with many agencies for this kind of investigation, which locally included Wilmington, Holly Ridge, and Brunswick and New Hanover counties coordinating with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Crime doesn’t stop at the county line,” Acker said.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: NC Gangster Disciples drug investigation results in 18 sentences