A federal heroin trafficking case in which defendants in separate cases were linked to one another in court documents has seen three people sentenced and several others awaiting arraignment or sentencing.
The cases involving Tara Finis Simmons and Charles Lee Wright were tied to the cases of Tony Ray Reams and Herbert Lamont Cherry and showed a heroin trafficking pipeline extending from Paterson, New Jersey, to Scotland Neck.
Reams was sentenced to 47 months in prison and five years of supervised release in early February, according to documents filed in the federal court record.
Cherry was sentenced late last year to 71 months in prison and five years of supervised release, documents show.
Wright was sentenced last summer to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Reams and Cherry were arrested together and Wright and Simmons were arrested together.
It was Reams, however, who, according to court documents, made several statements regarding the names of other people within an operation working out of Scotland Neck.
Reams identified Simmons, who goes by the street name T-baby, as reputedly being the organization’s usual courier.
In the Wright-Simmons case there have been two superseding indictments issued which name others in that case.
The second superseding indictment named Terrence “Tee” Cornelius Clyburn and Tyshawn “Ty” Rayvon Reams as defendants.
The third superseding indictment named Patrick “JuJu” Holiday and Mario “Rio” Marelle Scott as defendants in the case.
Second superseding indictment
This indictment in the first count charges beginning in 2012, Clyburn and Ty Reams, along with Simmons knowingly and intentionally had a tacit understanding with each other to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and a mixture and substances containing a detectable amount of marijuana.
Count two alleges on or about March 13 of 2017 Clyburn and Ty Reams knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin.
In count three it is alleged Clyburn and Simmons on August 16 of 2017 knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and a quantity of marijuana.
Count four charges on the same date as count two Simmons knowingly and intentionally possessed a quantity of marijuana.
In a section of the indictment titled allegation of prior convictions the federal grand jury charges Clyburn committed the violations alleged in counts one through three after two prior convictions for felony drug offenses had become final.
It also charges Ty Reams committed the violations alleged in counts one through two after one prior conviction for a felony drug offense had become final.
Third superseding indictment
This indictment names Simmons, Holiday and Scott.
In count one the grand jury charged beginning on or about 2012 the three did knowingly have a tacit understanding to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana.
The quantity in the alleged conspiracy is 1 kilogram or more of heroin and a quantity of marijuana.
In count two of this indictment it is charged on August 16 of 2017 Holiday and Simmons intentionally possessed with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin and a quantity of marijuana.
Count three charges on the same date as count two Simmons intentionally possessed a quantity of marijuana.
It is also charged Scott committed the violations alleged in count one after two prior convictions for felony drug offenses had become final.
Background and pending court dates
Cherry and Tony Reams were arrested on March 13 after the pair were returning to North Carolina after buying multiple bricks of heroin in New Jersey for what was described as a drug trafficking organization operating out of Scotland Neck, Tarboro and Nash County.
Simmons and Wright, of Columbus County, had a federal detainer placed on them after they were stopped in Scotland Neck the evening of August 16 of 2017. The stop led to the seizure of 102 bricks of heroin.
Simmons has an arraignment set for April 16 in New Bern before Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones Jr.
Clyburn and Holiday are scheduled for sentencing on June 20 in New Bern before District Court Judge Louise Wood Flanagan.
Ty Reams is scheduled for sentencing on April 9 before Flanagan in New Bern and Scott is scheduled for arraignment on May 14 in New Bern before Jones.
