United States of America v. Shon E. Melton

Norfolk, VA: Criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with trafficking drugs and guns.



Shon E. Melton, 32, of Portsmouth, was attributed with trafficking 19 firearms, including a concealable short barrel shotgun, assault rifles, and stolen guns, one of which was a Ruger with a scope and laser modification. Firearms trafficked by Melton include stolen guns connected to burglaries in the London Oaks neighborhood of Portsmouth, sold within days or weeks of the home invasions.



Operation High Tide is a large-scale narcotics trafficking and firearms investigation that has resulted in the recovery of over 65 firearms, over 7 kilograms of cocaine, nearly a kilogram of crack cocaine, over 625 grams of heroin, over 100 grams of fentanyl, 75 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 12 pounds of marijuana, 621 grams of hash oil, 24 grams of MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy), 120 grams of methamphetamine, and over $560,000 in cash. The narcotics seized have a street value of nearly $1 million.



To date, Operation High Tide defendants have been sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years:



Name, Age



Hometown





Charges





Sentence



Brian D. Best, 34



Virginia Beach





Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine





92 months



Antisha Carrington, 25



Virginia Beach





Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana





33 months



Portia L. Carrington-Green, 46, Chesapeake





Transferring a Firearm to a Prohibited Person





12 months and one day



Kawanta D. Epps, 40



Norfolk





Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin





46 months



Glenn Farris, 36



Norfolk





Using a Communication Facility to Commit, Cause, and Facilitate the Distribution of Controlled Substances





30 months



Armad J. Gatling, 26, Portsmouth









Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Union Fraud





216 months



Corey L. Jones, 50



Portsmouth





Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime





240 months



Dominic D. Jones, 26



Portsmouth





Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime





60 months



Malcolm D. Jones, Sr., 45



Portsmouth





Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin; Distribution of Heroin, Fentanyl; Distribution of Acetyl Fentanyl





246 months



Malcom Jones, Jr., 25



Portsmouth





Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin





156 months



Razagin K. Lee, 49, Elizabeth City, North Carolina





Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine





140 months



Shon E. Melton, 30



Portsmouth





Distribution of Heroin; Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Possession of an Unregistered National Firearms Act Firearm





60 months



Hasheed Mills, 25



Portsmouth





Distribution of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime; Distribution of Cocaine





60 months



Gary Norfleet, 52



Chesapeake





Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Felon in Possession of a Firearm





151 months



Jermaine C. Parker, 35



Chesapeake





Distribution of Fentanyl; 2 counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime





240 months



Takieon J. Perkins, 36, Chesapeake





Felon in Possession of a Firearm





180 months



Raewkon A. Pierce, 24



Portsmouth





Distribution of Cocaine





140 months



Corey S. Reed, 38



Norfolk





Distribution of Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin





156 months



Tajh Rodgers, 29



Portsmouth





Robbery Affecting Commerce; Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and 3 counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime





336 months



Johnnie Ross, 29



Portsmouth





Distribution of Fentanyl





60 months



Jameel M. Simmons, 37



Portsmouth





Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking Crime





123 months



Jelami M. Smith, 43



Portsmouth





Distribution of Heroin





24 months



Robert B. Spruill, 39



Chesapeake





Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess Methamphetamine





60 months



Paul C. Voskanyan, 36





Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine





144 months



Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Renado Prince, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.



Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristin G. Bird, Andrew C. Bosse, John F. Butler, Megan M. Cowles, Sherrie Capotosto, Kevin M. Comstock, Joseph E. DePadilla, William B. Jackson, Darryl Mitchell, and William D. Muhr prosecuted the cases referenced above.



This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.



A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information on the Melton case are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-145. Other Operation High Tide cases can be found by searching for Case Nos. 2:19-cr-80, 111, 138, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 154, 155, 170, 193, and 2:20-cr-15.



T.21:841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) - Distribution of Heroin / Criminal Forfeiture T.21:853(p), T.21:853, T.18:924(d)(1), T.26:5872, T.49:80303, T.28:2461(c)

(3)



T.18:924(c)(1)(A) - Possession of Firearms During and In Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime

(4)



T.26:5861(d) - Possession of an Unregistered National Firearms Act Firearm

(5)

Sentencing held before District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen on 10/12/2021: John Butler present on behalf of the government; Scott Hallauer present on behalf of the defendant; Defendant present and on bond; Defendant sworn; Court noted for the record Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 5(f). Court finds defendant guilty after a plea before a USMJ; Arguments of counsel heard; Shon E. Melton (1), Count 3, IMPRISONMENT: TIME SERVED; SUPERVISED RELEASE: THREE (3) YEARS; SPECIAL ASSESSMENT: $100.00; Count 4, IMPRISONMENT: SIXTY (60) MONTHS; SUPERVISED RELEASE: FIVE (5) YEARS TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; SPECIAL ASSESSMENT: $100.00; Count 5, IMPRISONMENT: TIME SERVED; SUPERVISED RELEASE: THREE (3) YEARS TO RUN CONCURRENTLY; SPECIAL ASSESSMENT: $100.00. Remaining counts dismissed on motion of the government at sentencing. Defendant continued on bond and to self surrender. COURT HOURS: 9:00 AM - 10:15 AM. (Court Reporter Heidi Jeffreys.)(lhow) (Entered: 10/13/2021)