A North Carolina man has been sentenced to a substantial period in federal custody for his involvement in drug trafficking. Rico Green, 48, from Waxhaw, N.C., will spend the next 13 years behind bars following his guilty plea on charges related to this offense. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, who also imposed a six-year term of court-ordered supervision following Green's release. Information obtained by the Department of Justice cites that there's no possibility for parole as per the federal system.
Details unearthed during the undercover operation that led to Green's sentencing showed that on January 5, 2022, he sold fentanyl to the Lancaster County Drug Task Force. Running from Lancaster County deputies, he was found with a significant amount of fentanyl during a failed escape attempt during a traffic stop in March 2022. Additionally, while on bond after his March arrest, Green subverted the course of justice by attempting to sell a firearm during another undercover operation, combined with a drug deal in his hometown of Waxhaw.
Green's criminal history, as reported by the court, includes two previous convictions for distribution of cocaine, two for distribution of crack cocaine, and another pair for trafficking cocaine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall, responsible for prosecuting the case, highlighted the necessity of the lengthy sentence. The investigation and subsequent legal action involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and several state and local law enforcement agencies.
Throughout his trial, Green faced overwhelming evidence of his criminal activities, orchestrated across Lancaster County, S.C., and Union County, N.C. His repeat offender status, with two convictions each for distribution and trafficking-related offenses, played a significant role in determining the harshness of his sentence. The case brings to light the relentless efforts by combined forces, including local sheriff's offices and police departments, to tackle the fentanyl crisis shaking communities, which is evidently clear from the robust response to Green's own activities.
