Wilmington man sentenced to 14 years for heroin distribution

GREENVILLE – United States Attorney George E.B. Holding
announced that in federal court today Chief United States District
Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced THEODORE LETSOU, 45, Wilmington,
North Carolina, to 175 months’ imprisonment.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on
September 24, 2009. On May 4, 2010, LETSOU pled guilty to
conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of
one kilogram or more of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United
States Code, Section 846, and unlawful possession of a firearm by
a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code,
Sections 922(g)(1) and 924.

On July 24, 2009, after conducting surveillance, members of
the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Wilmington Police
Department initiated a traffic stop on LETSOU’s vehicle in
Wilmington, North Carolina. LETSOU and another person were
traveling from New York to Wilmington to deliver heroin. Agents
found 939 bags of heroin hidden in the headliner of Letsou’s car.
The agent then performed a search of LETSOU’s home and found an SKS
rifle and 92 rounds of ammunition.

The investigation revealed that LETSOU was responsible for
distributing more than 63,000 dosage units of heroin into Eastern
North Carolina from 2007 until the time of his arrest.
This case was brought as a part of an Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation entitled Monarch,
investigating importers and multi-level distributors of cocaine
crack cocaine, and heroin.

To date, 15 defendants have been
sentenced in federal court, including Arjun Bell who received 400
months, Christopher Gauge – 240 months, Lee Braggs – 254 months.
The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement
Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the
Federal Bureau of Investigations; the North Carolina State Bureau
of Investigations; and the Wilmington Police Department. Mr. Severo
is a prosecutor with the New Hanover District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Ben David has assigned him to the United States
Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force criminal matters. This has been made
possible by a grant funded by the Governor’s Crime Commission and
the New Hanover County Commissioners.

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