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The federal investigation of a heroin trafficking pipeline from Paterson, New Jersey, to Scotland Neck culminated this week with the conviction of a Princeville man.

Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina G. Norman Acker III said at a press conference today at the Nash County Sheriff’s Office that eight people in the conspiracy were arrested, indicted and sentenced.

The eight people charged, Acker said, were part of the Terrence Cornelius “Tee” Clyburn drug trafficking organization.

Acker said Clyburn’s longstanding trafficking organization began to crumble in 2016 when the Tar River Regional Drug Task Force received information that Clyburn, who maintained residences in New Jersey and Bladen County, was moving large amounts of heroin from New Jersey to North Carolina.

A traffic stop in March of 2017 in which Herbert Lamont Cherry and Tony Ray Reams were carrying large amounts of heroin was also instrumental in breaking the organization, Acker said.

In that stop 694 bricks of heroin packaged in 34,722 bindles were seized.

An August of 2017 stop resulted in 102 bricks containing 5,000 bindles being seized. “Agents determined that Clyburn had operated with impunity for years and was responsible for trafficking more than 10 kilos of heroin from 2002 to 2017,” Acker said, explaining the 10 kilos represents more than 500,000 dosage units of heroin. “This prosecution resulted in the lowering of crime in the area and specifically the lowering of violent crime and the amount of drugs on the streets.”

Despite the inroads made in curtailing the heroin trade, Acker said, “It continues to be one of the most serious problems facing this area as well as the country.”

Between 2013 and 2016 heroin deaths almost doubled, Acker said, citing a 2018 DEA report. “It’s been exacerbated by the increase of the use of fentanyl, sometimes sold by itself, and sometimes mixed with heroin.”

Captain Kevin McLaughlin of the Nash County Sheriff’s Office said investigators learned that Scotland Neck had become a heroin trafficking hub because those charged living in Scotland Neck had family in New Jersey. “That’s where it began.”

Chief Deputy Scott Hall of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said, “This starts from the top with the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office all the way down to every agency and every agent that’s represented here. We are very fortunate in Halifax to be bordered by other counties with sheriffs that are committed to ridding our communities and our streets of drugs. Our ultimate goal is to keep our kids safe. We are thankful for the partnerships that we have. Without the partnerships going across municipal lines, county lines, and state lines we cannot accomplish this.”

The final person convicted in the case was a Princeville man, 44-year-old Mario Marelle Scott, the eastern district attorney’s office said in a statement today.

Scott was convicted this week and was sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 1 kilo or more of heroin and a quantity of marijuana. He was indicted in 2018 and entered a plea in November of 2019.

The indictments and ultimate convictions in the case came as agents interviewed a series of witnesses who indicated that the drug trafficking organization was led by Clyburn, who would arrange for the transportation of large amounts of heroin to North Carolina via couriers. Those couriers included Tony Reams, Cherry, Tara Simmons, and Charles Wright.

Other members of the organization would distribute the drugs in North Carolina, including Patrick Holiday, Tyshawn Reams — Tony’s son — and Scott.

 From 2015 to 2017, Scott and Holiday distributed approximately 100 grams of heroin each month in North Carolina for the organization. In total, Scott was responsible for trafficking almost 10 kilograms of heroin.

Besides Scott, the following have been sentenced:

Terrence Clyburn — 147 months 

Holiday — 96 months 

Tyshawn Reams — 88 months

Wright — 60 months

Simmons — 28 months 

Cherry — 47 months 

Tony Reams — 71 months

Upon completion of their sentences, they will have to serve five years of supervised release.