Les Corey Peak, the North Carolina man who orchestrated a vast drug distribution network from behind bars, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison; the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced the sentencing following his guilty plea to drug conspiracy charges earlier this year.
While incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections from 2021 to 2023, Peak, 38, utilized contraband mobile phones to strike deals for sizeable shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl, overseeing their transport to Western North Carolina for further distribution by his accomplices, and it was there Zachery Micah Rice was caught with a significant haul including over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a modified pistol, and more than $32,000 during a law enforcement stop, Rice has since been sentenced to more than 28 years imprisonment for his involvement.
The coordination of this illicit enterprise was intricate, with Peak liaising from his cell with his Atlanta supplier, setting up bulk purchases that Rice would retrieve, then weave through a network of local traffickers and dealers spread across several counties, court records revealed a trove of fentanyl, meth, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and cash also tied to Rice's operations were discovered.
Peak's sentence marks a significant blow to the regional drug trade, with U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson crediting the concerted efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as local sheriff's offices and police departments across North Carolina and South Carolina; Ferguson's office has been vigorously pursuing Operation Take Back America's goals, to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations and to shield communities from the ravages of illegal drugs and related violence.
This case and its adjudication under Operation Take Back America signify the continuing resolve of the Department of Justice to confront the specters of illegal immigration and organized crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess has been lauded for his role in the prosecution of Peak and his cohorts, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
