Date: 01-15-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 5:17-cr-00029-RLV

Judge: Ricahrd L. Voorhees

Court: United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina (Iredell County>

Plaintiff's Attorney: Erik Lindahl

Defendant's Attorney: Steve Meier

Description: Statesville, NC - Blowing Rock, N.C. Woman Sentenced To Prison For Trafficking Methamphetamine

On Wednesday, January 11, 2018, U.S. District Judge Richard L. Voorhees sentenced Haley Raquel Rhodes, 23, of Blowing Rock, N.C. to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release on drug trafficking charges, announced R. Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Rhodes pleaded guilty in September 2017 to one count of methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Wayne Dixie, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division and Sheriff Len Hagaman of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney Murray in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and statements made in court, from November 2016 to March 2017, Rhodes conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Mecklenburg and Watauga Counties. Court records show that law enforcement became aware that Rhodes was transporting large amounts of methamphetamine from Charlotte to Watauga County. On March 27, 2017, while Rhodes was driving her vehicle through Watauga County, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop. Prior to stopping her vehicle, law enforcement observed Rhodes throw a black case out of the driver’s window of the car. Court records show that law enforcement recovered the black case, which contained methamphetamine packaged in multiple bags. Law enforcement also seized from Rhodes’ vehicle drug paraphernalia and $5,170 in cash.

According to court records, Rhodes told law enforcement that she regularly traveled to Charlotte to pick up methamphetamine, which she then brought back to Watauga County to sell. In total, Rhodes was responsible for receiving and distributing at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Rhodes is currently in federal custody. She will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

ATF and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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Defendant's Experts:

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