Two Men Receive Federal Sentences for Cocaine Distribution, Importation

By Sydney Wilmer (Contact)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Two men linked to separate Loudoun County cocaine distribution operations were sentenced today, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Kalonji Cummings, 29, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady. Cummings, who was living in Round Hill at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine on March 3, 2008.

In the second case, Miguel Angel Andrade, 34, of Paterson, N.J., was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. The conviction was based on his involvement in a conspiracy to import 500 grams or more of cocaine into the United States.

With the arrests and convictions of both of these men, "a large amount of narcotics have been taken off the streets," Kraig Troxell, public information officer for the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, explained.

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Cocaine Disguised as Candy

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These three pieces of candy are actually rocks of cocaine that were recently seized by police in Sterling. (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office )

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Some of the disguised cocaine that was recovered in Sterling Thurday. (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office )

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Two of 20 bags filled with cociane disguised as candy. In all, about 600 pieces of individually-wrapped narcotic were seized by police. (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office )

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These packages of what appears to be candies were siezed in Sterling Thursday. Instead of sugary treats, the bags contain individually-wrapped lumps of cocaine. (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office )

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Miguel Andrade, 34, of Paterson, NJ, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. (Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office )

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But cocaine is not the most prevalent abused drug in the county, he said.

“We have our fair share of cocaine,” he said, “but we see more cases of marijuana and the abuse of perspiration drugs."

Cummings conspired with others to distribute cocaine within Loudoun County, according to a press release sent out by the U.S. Attorney's Office. He obtained large quantities of the drug from New York and distributed them in the county.

During the course of the conspiracy, Cummings stored his cocaine at the business of one of his customers in Sterling. As part of this arrangement, he provided the business owner with cocaine for distribution in Loudoun County. As part of his plea, Cummings admitted that he distributed between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms of crack cocaine during the course of the conspiracy.

The Andrade case got a little more media attention because it was slightly unusual, Troxell said.

According to court documents and proceedings, in or around January 2008, a co-conspirator of Andrade arranged for a shipment of cocaine, packaged as 26 bags of candy, including lollipops, toffee and caramels, to be sent from Peru to an import delivery business in Sterling. Andrade made arrangements to pick up the cocaine from the business using a false name and was arrested on Feb. 7, 2008.

Both the Cummings and Andrade cases were investigated by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fahey prosecuted the Cummings case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Grooms and John Eisinger prosecuted the Andrade case, both on behalf of the United States.

Troxell explained that the Sheriff's office considers drugs a serious problem.

"We work very hard to make sure and ensure that these types of drugs don't end up in the hands of Loudoun residents,” he said.

Tagged: crime, Loudoun Sheriff's Office

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