NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Five men from the Hampton Roads region were arrested Tuesday in connection to a $19 million drug trafficking conspiracy, authorities say. An additional suspect remains a fugitive.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said officers and agents from the FBI, DEA, Norfolk police, and U.S. Marshals made the arrests as a part of Operation Goodfellas.
The investigation stems back to 2009.
A news release from the attorney’s office said several “significant drug traffickers” from the the Ingleside section of Norfolk have been involved in distributing a large amount of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana since that time.
READ: Indictments in Operation Goodfellas
The investigation led to the arrests of the following men: 38-year-old Reginald Sam Beale, of Norfolk; 36-year-old Maurice Antonio Barnes, of Norfolk; 39-year-old Breon Lashawn Dixon, of Chesapeake; 34-year-old Johnell Deshawn Stepney, of Norfolk; and 37-year-old Brandon Jaami Williams, of Virginia Beach.
Authorities say the men above are among nine people from Hampton Roads who face charges in connection to the crimes. Three were previously in custody prior to Tuesday and one person still hasn’t been arrested.
According to a 77-page unsealed indictment, the five men arrested would receive cocaine from suppliers in several locations including Virginia, California, Texas, Florida and New Jersey.
They also arranged for cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin to be transported to Virginia a number of different ways, including using the United States Postal Service, hidden traps in privately owned vehicles, rental vehicles and semi-trailers.
The documents allege the group used several locations across Hampton Roads as well as in Los Angeles to distribute the narcotics. This included storage units in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, apartments in Norfolk and Sewells Point Tire and Auto Repair in Norfolk.
10 On Your Side’s Deanna Bettineschi reports multiple agencies were at the auto repair shop Tuesday morning. A passerby stopped earlier and told 10 On Your Side she saw officers going through the cars in the lot.
Officers started bringing in tow trucks and towing cars and buses away from the shop at around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Authorities said law enforcement made a total of 29 controlled buys of cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine from Beale, Barnes, Dixon, Stepney and Williams between September 2016 and June 2018.
Evidence law enforcement obtained this past summer showed Barnes’ local supplier was getting large amounts of cocaine and heroin from Los Angeles. The cocaine was being trucked to Virginia and unloaded in 10 and 20 kilogram loads at a public storage facility in Virginia Beach.
Williams was arrested with 13 kilograms of cocaine — with a street value over $500,000 — after he tried to transfer the drugs from an apartment at the ICON in downtown Norfolk to another luxury apartment on Granby Street.
Authorities said additional evidence led to two members of a California and Mexico-based drug trafficking organization being arrested: 20-year-old Jose Moices Luna-Abrego, of Los Angeles, and 39-year-old Ulises Abel Garcia-Razo, of Mexico.
The two allegedly tried to fly to Virginia in an effort to retrieve cocaine that had previously shipped, along with $500,000. Authorities said the two were arrested in July 2018 during a hotel sting in Norfolk.
Authorities said it is estimated the group is responsible for distributing an estimated 11.5 kilograms of crack, 436 kilograms of cocaine, 54 kilograms of heroin, 1 ounce of fentanyl and over 20 pounds of marijuana — with a street value over $19 million.
This is a developing news story. Stay with WAVY.com for updates.