Leader of Norfolk-Based Heroin Trafficking Group Sentenced

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to over 21 years in prison for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking conspiracy.

“Kyam Washington led a conspiracy that moved hundreds of thousands of dollars of heroin into Hampton Roads,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Heroin is a deadly poison, and its abuse starts a cascade of harm that permeates a user’s life and can have a devastating effect on everyone they come in contact with—their children, parents, friends, and the community as a whole. Washington played a significant role in pumping a massive amount of heroin into Hampton Roads, and the sentence delivered today is just punishment for his serious crimes.”

According to court documents, Washington, 46, was a lead drug dealer in a heroin ring that operated primarily from the Ocean View area of Norfolk that imported and sold multiple kilograms of heroin across Hampton Roads. The group imported bulk amounts of heroin from out-of-state sources and at times used a common cell phone number that addicts called to order heroin, which was then delivered by one of the conspirators.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation View Crew. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Bosse, Joseph E. DePadilla, and John F. Butler prosecuted the case.

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 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-006.