A man charged in a traffic stop in Halifax County which led to federal drug counts against him pleaded guilty today to two of the charges.

Bryan Walter Riccaldo appeared before Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II in Raleigh. He waived indictment and pleaded guilty to counts 1 and 2 lodged against him.

His accomplice in the case — Yacine Rahmani — already entered a guilty plea to charges lodged against him — that in count 1 the two men knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, and fentanyl.

The amount attributable to Riccaldo is a kilogram or more of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

The amount attributable to Rahmani is 100 grams or more of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and 400 grams or more of heroin.

In count two the men pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting one another to possess and distribute heroin and marijuana.

Court documents dealing with Riccaldo’s arraignment today do not mention the third count filed against him — possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The documents do confirm that the plea agreement was conditionally approved by the court and Riccaldo is scheduled for sentencing in January while Rahmani is scheduled for sentencing on November 3.

Previous court documents show the two men are tied to Tyrone “Ty Nitty” Foreman, who is the reputed leader of a United Blood Nation set and along with others have also been federally indicted.

Rahmani and Riccaldo were stopped last year by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office on a return trip to New York after supplying Foreman with heroin in Rocky Mount, according to a criminal complaint filed in Foreman’s case.

The sheriff’s office stopped them for speeding.

The portion of the criminal complaint regarding the traffic stop said a canine conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle and the dog noted the presence of narcotics.

The search of the car resulted in the seizure of 47 bricks of heroin and approximately 1 pound of marijuana. 

Authorities located the narcotics inside a Vittles Vault airtight pet food container located in the backseat of the vehicle. Authorities also seized a firearm from the vehicle.

The mens’ cell phones were seized along with a hand-written ledger which included the name Nitty Boy, a nickname for Foreman.

The criminal complaint said investigators suspect that the 47 bricks were being returned due to an issue with the supply.

During a recorded jail phone call Riccaldo spoke with an unknown man about the trip and admitted law enforcement caught him with 47 bricks. He also told the man he was on his way back to New York when he was caught. 

Riccaldo claimed during the phone call that Foreman set him up.