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Homeland Security, FBI flood Portsmouth neighborhood in large heroin-related operation

Posted at 8:17 AM, Aug 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-14 18:12:47-04

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Federal and local law enforcement officials blocked off streets in Portsmouth on Monday for a large drug-related operation that resulted in the arrests of eight people.

An FBI spokesperson says the operation targeted a drug trafficking organization operating out of Portsmouth that is alleged to have distributed more than 100 kilograms of heroin and 80 kilgrams of cocaine in Hampton Roads over the past 10 years.

An indictment naming 12 defendants allegedly involved in the drug ring was filed on August 9.

All 12 of them are indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, among other charges.

The indictment says one of the defendants, Leroy Perdue, led a heroin trafficking organization called the Perdue DTO in Hampton Roads. He was supplied by another defendant, Tywon McKelvy, among others.

Perdue then allegedly supplied heroin to other defendants, including Darion Perdue, Rhadu Schoolfield, Jamars Cooper, Eddie Tyson, Abraham Atkins, and Dominic Mosley.

The indictment says the group used rented cars, trucks and motel rooms to avoid detection by law enforcement. Some of the rooms and homes were used to manufacture and distribute the meth. Members of the group also changed mobile phone numbers regularly to avoid detection.

Wholesale amounts of heroin were reportedly trafficked from Atlanta and New York to the Hampton Roads area. Court documents say Rhadu Schoolfield traveled with Leroy Perdue to Atlanta and New York to assist him in trafficking heroin back to Hampton Roads.

The heroin was distributed to Abraham Atkins, Victoria Waller, Dominic Mosley, Edward Muckle, Eddie Tyson and others to sell in retail quantities. Some of the dealers also possessed and used guns while distributing the drugs.

The drugs were also supplied by Leroy Perdue to the 130/200 gang, a criminal street gang based in the Cradock neighborhood of Portsmouth.

Several of the defendants are additionally indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl.

A list of the defendants and charges are as follows:

Leroy L. Perdue - aka "Dink," "Big Heat," "Big Cuz" - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin

Rhadu J. Schoolfield - aka "Big Face Dolla" - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Felon in Possession of Ammunition

Tywon McKelvy - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Felon

Darion D. Perdue - aka "Son Son" - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin,

Abraham A. Atkins - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, multiple counts of Distribution of Heroin, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and multiple counts of Using Communication Facilities to Cause, Commit, and Facilitate Felony Violations of the Controlled Substance Act.

Victoria A. Waller - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, multiple counts of Distribution of Heroin, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, and Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

Eddie L. Tyson - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Distribution of Fentanyl.

Jamars A. Cooper - aka "Mall" - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin,

Dominic Diablo Mosley - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.

Edward W. Muckle - aka "Eddie," "E" - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.

Unnamed defendant #1 - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.

Unnamed defendant #2 - Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Manufacture, multiple counts of Distribution of Heroin, and multiple counts of Distribution of Fentanyl.

The FBI says the unnamed defendants are identified as Kevin Rashed Lawrence and Nicholas Godwin, though they have not specified which person is wanted for which charges.

They remain the only two defendants that have not been arrested at this time.

Leroy Perdue, Darion Perdue, Abraham Atkins, Valerie Waller, Eddie Tyson, Jamars Cooper, Dominic Mosley, and Edward Muckle, were all taken into custody on Monday morning.

Rhadu Schoolfield has been in custody since June 2017. Tywon McKelvy has been in custody since 2015.

Kevin Lawrence, 37, is described as a black male, 5'9" tall and approximately 200 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and a light beard. He is considered armed and dangerous.

Nicholas Godwin, 37, is described as a white male, 5'5" tall and approximately 155 pounds. He has long dark brown hair and brown eyes and was last seen in the Western Branch section of Chesapeake. His primary mode of transportation is a scooter.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Tidewater Violent Crime Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in partnership with the Chesapeake Police Department, the Virginia State Police, and the Portsmouth Police Department Gang Suppression Unit.